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July 25, 2023, 3:23 p.m.

Why Americans are paying each other’s medical bills

Summary

Many Americans have enrolled in an alternative to traditional health insurance called health care sharing plans. But unlike insurance, these plans are unregulated and don’t have to meet minimum health benefits mandated by the Affordable Care Act. Kate Harris with the Colorado Division of Insurance and KFF Health News senior Colorado correspondent Markian Hawryluk join John Yang to discuss.
For a transcript of this story, click here . News wrap alternative : Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

Five Facts

  1. Why are people opting for health care sharing plans despite the potential risks?
  2. How have these plans spread across the country?
  3. Who is Kate Harris, and what is her background?
  4. When do the participants in this plan have to pay?
  5. What is one thing the majority of these people share?

Focus Questions

How do you think health care sharing plans reflect the state of health care overall in the U.S.? Why do you think they've become more popular recently? News analysis : What background information would you like to have to better understand why some people are opting for risky health care sharing plans? Alternative : See, Think, Wonder : What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What story would you want to find out more about? Where would you go to learn more?

For More

What students can do : Discuss with a friend, neighbor or classmate — can you think of other examples of people in the U.S. adapting to high health care costs? What are some of those other ways people have adapted to high costs?

STUDENT VIDEO OF THE DAY (July 9, 2021)


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