Reforming the nation’s health care system was the biggest single political issue of the past two years, prompting an unprecedented level of interest and debate. Unfortunately, the level of misunderstanding, on both sides, remains nearly as high as the level of passion.
How informed are you when it comes to health care? Take this quiz to find out: 1) Where does the U.S. rank worldwide in terms of health care, according to the World Health Organization?*
a) 1st
b) 5th
c) 37th
d) 56th 2) What percentage of the U.S. gross domestic product consists of health care expenditures?
a) 8%
b) 16%
c) 24%
d) 39% 3) Federal spending on Medicare and Medicaid is what percentage of U.S. gross domestic product?
a) 4%
b) 8%
c) 12%
d) 18% 4) What percentage of Americans under age 65 has health care insurance through their employer?
a) 34%
b) 63%
c) 76%
d) 88% 5) What percentage of Americans under age 65 purchases health care insurance privately, directly from an insurer?
a) 1%
b) 4%
c) 8%
d) 16% 6) What percentage of national health expenditures comes directly out of the consumers’ pockets, through deductibles, co-payments, and payments for services not covered by insurance?
a) 2%
b) 7%
c) 13%
d) 18% 7) Which of the following statements about Health Savings Accounts is true?
a) Contributions are made on a pre-tax basis.
b) The funds roll over and accumulate year over year if not spent.
c) The funds can be invested, similar to funds in an individual retirement account.
d) All of the above e) None of the above 8) The Medicare Trustees recently announced that the Medicare system is likely to start running out of money in what year?
a) 2012
b) 2017
c) 2025
d) 2038 If you have questions about health care insurance, Medicare, or any other health-related issue, please give us a call. We can work with you and your attorney to make sure all of your needs are met.
Answers: 1-c; 2-b; 3-a; 4-b; 5-b; 6-c; 7-d; 8-b. *The World Health Organization rankings are from 2000, when the group stopped compiling the data, citing the complexity of the task. |