HEALTH:  Introduction

Medical care is important to all of us.  Because paying for health care out of our pockets is expensive, some of us have health insurance provided by our employers. However, many of us have jobs that do not include health insurance as a job benefit. Others do not have jobs at all (the elderly, children, and the unemployed). For those who do not have health insurance, a select group of individuals qualify for government programs to provide health care. These include Medicare (for the elderly), Medicaid (for mothers and babies and those with disabilities), Tricare (for those in the service to our country), and Indian Health. Approximately 64 million Americans (one in five) do not have health insurance and do not qualify for government programs.

Our government is the largest purchaser of health care in our nation, and we use approximately 18% of our money every year to pay for it. This may not sound like a lot, but it is approximately twice what other countries pay.

In the simulation you will participate in today, you take the role of lawmakers making choices about what government programs will pay for. Don't forget that the government has limited money to fund these programs. So when it comes to health care, you can't choose everything! Because the government can't provide all health care to all people, you will have to make some tough choices.  We hope this exercise shows you how difficult it can be for Congress to figure out the best choices.

Remember: No one knows the right answer! Your opinion counts as much as anyone's!

Health:  The Simulation

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