שיעור ניסיון חינם
הרשמה הורדה חינם
רמה: מתקדמים

Medical Debt

מאמר באנגלית לתרגול קריאה. כולל 5 מילים חדשות עם תרגום לעברית, 3 שאלות הבנת הנקרא, 5 שאלות לשיחה. מתאים למתקדמים.

Read the article below.

In the United States, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau published a report stating that between 2020 and 2022, there was an 8.2 million decrease, or a 17.9% decrease, in the number of people whose credit records included medical debt.

Officials from the White House stated in a separate written report that they believe their policies are likely to blame for the two-year decline. This expansion provided an additional 4.2 million people with health insurance of some kind. In addition, local governments are using a total of $1.5 billion in hospital debt to leverage an additional $16 million in coronavirus relief money.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has also been persistent to help people pay off their medical bills. The major credit rating agencies announced late last year that they would no longer include in their records medical debts of less than $500 or debts that had already been settled. 

Officials from the White House said that lowering people's debt could make them feel better about their medical bills, which are often a reason why people don't go to their doctor's appointments or fill their prescriptions.

During a meeting with reporters, Karine Jean-Pierre, a press assistant at the White House, said that the policies enacted by Vice President Joe Biden "played a key role" in making medical debt less of a problem for millions of American families.

The fact that medical debt is decreasing is evidence of steady progress. This is in contrast to economic indicators like the unemployment rate and inflation, which go up and down in cycles. 13.5 percent of the 279 million individuals who had access to their credit records had at least one medical debt, which is a decrease from 16.4 percent in 2020 and 19.4 percent in 2014.

According to the report from the White House, however, outstanding medical expenses account for more than half of all debt that is currently being collected. As a consequence of this, medical debt now surpasses the total amount owed for credit cards, personal loans, as well as phone and utility expenses combined.

מילים חדשות מהטקסט

  • leverage /ˈlɛvərɪʤ/ verb מינוף

    to use something that you already have, such as a resource, in order to achieve something new or better

    The money could be used to leverage millions of additional dollars.

  • persistent /pərˈsɪstənt/ adjective מַתְמִיד

    continues doing something or tries to do something in a determined but often unreasonable way

    He has been a persistent critic of the president.

  • prescription /prəˈskrɪpʃən/ noun מִרשָׁם

    a piece of paper on which a doctor writes the details of the medicine that someone needs

    These drugs are only available on prescription.

  • enacted /ɛˈnæktəd/ verb נחקק

    to put something into action, especially to make something law

    The national lawmakers successfully enacted environmental legislation.

  • surpasses /sərˈpæsɪz/ verb עולה

    to do or be better or more than something else

    The quarterly sales figure surpasses everyone’s expectations.

שאלות לשיחה

אין כאן תשובה נכונה — אלה שאלות לתרגול דיבור, לבד או מול מורה.

  1. In your opinion, are health care services in your country affordable or expensive?
  2. According to officials, fears about medical bills prevent people from getting the necessary health care services. Do you have this kind of fear? Why or why not? Discuss?
  3. The White House press secretary said that Biden’s policies played “a critical role.” In your opinion, what policies should your government implement to further improve public services (ex. education, health care)? Discuss?
  4. Do you have to wait long to get an appointment if you have a health problem?
  5. What is the worst thing you have ever experienced in a hospital?

בדקו את עצמכם

3 שאלות. בחרו תשובה וקבלו בדיקה מיד.

  1. What could make people feel better about their medical bills?

  2. Which organization is working hard to help people pay off their debts?

  3. Who put the policies in place that made medical debt less of a problem for millions of American families?

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