Religion plays a big role in my family's lives (they're Jehovah's Witnesses) so I've always been sheltered whenever it comes to anything involving the government. I never really paid attention to the health care reform, but since I recently lost my insurance coverage, it's important to me to know how I'll be affected. I feel like the fact that I've been so sheltered is going to make it more difficult for me to understand compared to the average person. One article from the New York Times summarized what the bill will do. Some of the things the bill will do include:
- require most Americans to have health insurance coverage
- add 16 million people to the Medicaid rolls
- subsidize private coverage for low- and middle-income people
- regulate private insurers more closely
- banning practices such as denial of care for pre-existing condition
The graphic was very easy to read and understand. It provided examples of people from different walks of life. It focused on their current circumstances, and how they would be affected now until 2018 in some cases. I thought it was good how the graphic focused primarily on the types of changes that will occur in the future. One thing that I didn't like about the graphic is the fact that it's not relatable if a person falls into more than one category, or no category at all. For example, I fall into the category of the uninsured single woman. However, I am not unemployed and even with me being employed, my income is still not that of the examples.
I think the author's purpose behind the graphic was to give readers a quick understanding of how they'd be affected, without the reader having to do a lot of research. Do I think this was an effective route? No. It would have been more effective it the graphic were more individualized. Although I was able to grasp a few pieces of information from the graphic, I will still have to look elsewhere in order to further my understanding of the health care reform.
First off, I would like to say I am sorry to hear about the loss of your insurance coverage. It is a luxury I feel all people should be granted without question, and I understand it must be difficult to not have that security.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, like you I have not payed much attention to the health care reform and it is a topic I know little about. With only a year left of school, however, I know that I will soon not be covered under my parents insurance and may become one of the many people struggling to afford health insurance. This is why it is important for me to learn a little about the health care reform.
I agree that the graphic you found in the New Your Times was easy to read and understand. The different categories were relatable to a large portion of the population, however, I agree when you stated that it lacked numerous categories. It didn't really include anything about couples with children or people who are employed but uninsured.
I thought you did an excellent job explaining the graphic and the purpose of the author. I agree that it was not very effective if you do not fall into any of the categories provided. I also thought you did a good job at using a conversational tone and making the blog relatable to other people.
Good luck on your search to find more information about the health care reform!