ESL Podcast 269 – Health Insurance Plans

At my company, I have a choice of health insurance plans. We can pick between HMOs and PPOs, and I have been with the same managed health plan for the past few years. It’s the plan that has the lowest co- pays and the best coverage¹, and the network of doctors is fairly large. The drug coverage is good and the affiliated² hospital is close to my house. Unfortunately, I’m discovering that it’s also the plan with the largest bureaucracy³ and patients can easily get lost in the shuffle⁴.

I have a primary care physician, but like other plans, if I want to see a specialist, I must be referred by my primary care physician. I have been trying to see an eye specialist for a few weeks. I called my doctor’s office for a referral, but the nurse told me that I needed to first make an office visit. I tried to get an appointment, but there weren’t any openings for five weeks! I tried to leave a phone message for my doctor to talk to her about my situation, but she never returned my call. I tried several more times, and still received no response.

I finally decided⁵ to file a grievance⁶. I know that I have patient rights, and that if I didn’t feel I was being treated fairly, I could file a complaint. I just hope that filing the grievance will get me a resolution to this problem. I’d like to see an eye specialist before I go blind!


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

2 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

3 bureaucracy   

n.官僚主义，官僚机构，（非民选的）委任官员

参考例句：

• The bureaucracy has become ossified.官僚主义已变得僵化了。
• Bureaucracy may be said as a disease in our very vitals.官僚主义可说是我们的心腹之患。

4 shuffle   

n.拖著脚走，洗纸牌；v.拖曳，慢吞吞地走

参考例句：

• I wish you'd remember to shuffle before you deal.我希望在你发牌前记得洗牌。
• Don't shuffle your feet along.别拖着脚步走。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 grievance   

n.怨愤，气恼，委屈

参考例句：

• He will not easily forget his grievance.他不会轻易忘掉他的委屈。
• He had been nursing a grievance against his boss for months.几个月来他对老板一直心怀不满。