Through Medicare, the government health-insurance program created in 1965 to help older Americans afford their medical bills, the U.S. helps one in five of its citizens pay for doctor visits, blood tests, prescription drugs, stays in hospitals or nursing facilities, and hospice care. Why not offer those benefits to everybody? “Medicare for All” has emerged as a rallying cryamong Democrats in the early stages of the 2020 U.S. presidential campaign, though it means different things to different people.
Who can get Medicare now?
About 85 percent of Medicare’s 59.7 million members are eligible because of their age -- 65 or older. The rest are eligible because they have permanent disabilities. Beneficiaries are responsible for paying premiums, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs, and most purchase some type of additional coverage to help with services that aren’t covered, such as long-term care, dental and vision treatment, and hearing aids.
What would Medicare for All mean?
That depends on who’s talking. Generally speaking, it suggests an end to the dominance of private health insurance in the U.S., in favor of either a government-run “single-payer” system, such as Canada’s, or a government-provided alternative to private insurance plans that Americans could buy into, an idea known as the “public option.” Less-drastic offshoots of the idea envision lowering the Medicare eligibility age to 50 -- Medicare for more, rather than Medicare for All.
Would Medicare for All change everybody’s health care?
It might, depending on the plan. The most expansive visions of Medicare for All, like those of Sanders and Jayapal, would establish universal benefits through a government-run program and outlaw most forms of private insurance, including employer-provided coverage. That might mean little if any out-of-pocket cost to patients, but also less choice for people who want to purchase specific types of benefits and for employers who use them to attract workers. Under a public-option plan, people satisfied with their insurance and medical care would have more flexibility to keep it.
美国通过1965年为帮助老年美国人支付医疗费用而设定的政府医疗保险计划，帮助1/5的公民支付看病、验血、处方药、住院或护理费用以及临终关怀。为什么不给每个人提供这些福利？在2020美国总统竞选早期阶段，“全民医保”已经成为民主党人的战斗口号，尽管它对不同人来说含义不同。
现在谁能拿到医保？
在医保涵盖的5970万成员中，85%的人因其年龄（65岁及以上）获得资格，其余人因为永久性残疾而获保。受益人负责支付保费、免赔额及其他自付费用，他们中大多会购买某些额外保险用以帮助提供未涵盖服务。如长期护理、牙科和视力治疗以及助听器。
全民医保意味着什么？
这取决于谈论对象。通常来讲，这表明美国结束了私人医疗保险的主导地位，要么选择类似加拿大政府运营的“单一付款人”制度，要么选择政府提供的私人医疗保险计划的替代方案——这种二选一被称作“公众选择”。这个不那么极端的分支设想将医保参保资格年龄降低到50岁——是更多人医保，而非全民医保。
全民医保会给个人健康服务带来改变吗？
可能会，这取决于计划。如Sanders 和Jayapal所想，全民医保最美好的愿景是通过政府运营的项目建立大范围福利保障，取缔包括雇主提供的保险在内的大多形式各异的私人保险。这对病患可能意味着几乎不需自掏腰包，但对那些想购买特定类型福利和需要利用这些福利吸引员工的雇主来说，这意味着选择余地变小。根据公众选择计划，对保险和医疗服务满意的人可以更灵活持有。
prescription drugs 处方药
rallying cry 战斗口号
campaign 竞选运动
eligible 合适的，有资格的
disability 残疾人
long-term care 长期护理
in favor of 赞成，支持
alternative 替代的，备选的
offshoot 支流，分支
envision 设想，预想
expansive 易扩张的，膨胀性的
outlaw 宣布…为不合法
out-of-pocket 白花钱的，赔钱的
flexibility 灵活性
Generally speaking, it suggests an end to the dominance of private health insurance in the U.S., in favor of either a government-run “single-payer” system, such as Canada’s, or a government-provided alternative to private insurance plans that Americans could buy into, an idea known as the “public option.” A.“such as Canada’s”作插入语；B.either及either …or 的用法
1.表示两者之一,连接句子中两个并列的成分.例如：
Either you or he has lunch at school.其一般疑问句应为：Do either you or he have lunch at school?是你还是他在学校吃午饭?
2.若要对either...or...句型进行否定时,只需把either...or...换成neither...nor...即可.例如：
Either you or she is good at drawing.变为否定句应为：Neither you nor she is good at drawing.你和她都不擅长绘画.
3.我们还可以单独使用either,其意为"两者中的任何一个".例如：
There are many shops on either side of the street.街道两边有许多商店.这个句子也可以这样表达：There are many shops on both sides of the street.在街道两边有许多商店.
4.either用在否定句的句末,表示"也"的意思.例如：
If you don\'t go there.I won\'t,either.如果你不去那里,我也不去.
When the girl is happy,she either sings or dances.那个女孩高兴时,不是唱就是跳.(此句中either...or...连接两个动词,因为主语是单数第三人称,谓语动词要用其相应的形式.)
5.either...or...连接两个主语时,其谓语动词应与最近的一个主语在人称和数上保持一致,这就是我们通常说的"就近原则".
Either you or I am going there tomorrow.明天要么你去那里,要么我去那里.
注意：如果把上句变成一般疑问句,助动词形式与主语you保持一致,所以要用are提问,而不是am.例如：
Are either you or I going there tomorrow?明天是你还是我去那里?
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