奥巴马每周电视讲话 医疗保险制度

Weekly Address: President Obama Highlights Benefits to Seniors Under the Patient Protection and Affordable¹ Care Act
 每周电视讲话：奥巴马总统强调《病人保护和可负担医疗法令》给老人带来的好处
 
WASHINGTON- In his weekly address this week, President Obama highlighted a Medicare Trustees report noting the steps we took this year to reform the health care system have put Medicare on a sounder financial footing, which will help to preserve Medicare for generations to come. Additionally, America’s seniors are already seeing more benefits as a result of health reform, including a rebate² to cover the cost of their prescriptions³ if they fall into the Medicare Part D drug coverage⁴ gap. In the coming years, as we continue to ramp⁵ up reform, we expect seniors to save in premiums⁶ and out of pocket costs. And the President will continue to make Medicare stronger to ensure our seniors have access to affordable and quality healthcare. 
 华盛顿消息：在本周的电视讲话中，奥巴马总统强调称来自医疗保险托管方的报告表明今年所采取的一系列针对医疗体系的改革使得医疗保险获得了更加坚实的财政基础，这将为未来数代美国人民提供医疗保险。另外，由于医疗改革，美国的老人们已经能够享受到诸多便利，包括对《联邦医疗保险制度第四部分》的处方药保险缺口的贴现补偿。在未来几年里，随着我们进一步推进改革，我们希望老人们可以节省保险费用和自掏腰包的支出。而且总统也会继续努力让医疗保险制度更加完善，来保障我们的老人们获得可负担的和高质量的医疗保健。
 
Forty-five years ago, we made a solemn compact as a nation that senior citizens would not go without the health care they need.  This is the promise we made when Medicare was born.  And it’s the responsibility of each generation to keep that promise.
 四十五年前，我们郑重许诺要让我们国家的每一个年老公民获得应有的医疗保健。这是医疗保险诞生之初我们许下的诺言。也是每代人信守承诺的责任。
 
That’s why a report issued this week by the Trustees who oversee⁷ Medicare was such good news.  According to this report, the steps we took this year to reform the health care system have put Medicare on a sounder financial footing.  Reform has actually added at least a dozen years to the solvency⁸ of Medicare – the single longest extension in history – while helping⁹ to preserve Medicare for generations to come.
 这也是为什么本周由医保监管第三方发布的报告是个好消息的原因。根据这份报告，今年以来我们在医疗保险系统所采取的一系列改革措施使得医疗保险获得了更加坚实的财政基础。改革实际增加了至少12年的医保偿付能力——这是历史上最长的单次延长——将为即将到来的数代人提供医疗保险。
 
We’ve made Medicare more solvent¹⁰ by going after waste, fraud, and abuse – not by changing seniors’ guaranteed benefits.  In fact, seniors are starting to see that because of health reform, their benefits are getting better all the time.
 在经历了浪费，欺诈和滥用之后，我们使得医保更有偿付能力——不是通过调整老人们已有的利益。实际上，通过医疗改革，一直以来，老人们获得了越来越好的医疗保健。
 
Seniors who fall into the “doughnut hole” – the gap in Medicare Part D drug coverage – are eligible¹¹ right now for a $250 rebate to help cover the cost of their prescriptions.  Now, I know for people facing drug costs far higher than that, they need more help.  That’s why we negotiated a better deal with the pharmaceutical¹² companies for seniors.  So starting next year, if you fall in the doughnut hole, you’ll get a 50-percent discount on the brand-name medicine you need.  And in the coming years, this law will close the doughnut hole completely once and for all.
 陷入“甜甜圈漏洞”——联邦医疗保险制度第四部分的处方药保险缺口——的老人们现在将有资格获得250美元的贴现以补偿他们在处方药上的支出。现在，我知道人民面对着远比这高的药物支出，他们需要更多的帮助。这也是为什么我们为了老人们而与制药公司谈判以获得更好交易的原因。因此，从明年开始，如果你陷入甜甜圈漏洞，你将在你所需要的品牌药品上获得50%的折扣。在未来几年，该法律将一劳永逸的完全堵上这个甜甜圈漏洞。
 
Already, we have put insurance companies on notice that we have the authority to review and reject unreasonable¹³ rate increases for Medicare Advantage plans.  And we’ve made it clear to the insurers that we won’t hesitate to use this authority to protect seniors.
 我们已经告诫保险公司，我们有权审查和否决针对老人医疗保险优惠计划的不合理的费率调整。而且我们明确的告诉保险公司我们在保护老年人行使该项权力上绝不会犹豫。
 
Beginning next year, preventive care – including annual physicals, wellness exams, and tests like mammograms – will be free for seniors as well.  That will make it easier for folks to stay healthy.  But it will also mean that doctors can catch things earlier, so treatment may be less invasive and less expensive.
 从明年开始，预防保健——包括年度体检，身体检查，以及像乳房X射线检查之类的测试——也将对老年人免费。这将让人们更容易保持身体健康。但这同时也意味着医生们能更早发现苗头，而治疗也将具有更小的危害性花费也更便宜。
 
And as reform ramps¹⁴ up in the coming years, we expect seniors to save an average of $200 per year in premiums and more than $200 each year in out of pocket costs, too.
 在未来数年，随着改革的进一步推进，我们希望老人们每人每年能节省200美元的保险支出和200美元的自掏腰包支出。
 
This is possible in part through reforms that target waste and abuse and redirect those resources to where they’re supposed to go: our seniors. We’re already on track to cut improper¹⁵ payments in half – including money that goes to criminals who steal taxpayer¹⁶ dollars by setting up insurance scams and other frauds.  And we won’t stop there.  Because by preventing the loss of these tax dollars, we can both address the runaway¹⁷ costs of Medicare and improve the quality of care seniors receive – and we can crack down on those who prey¹⁸ on seniors and take advantage of people.
 通过针对浪费和滥用以及重现配置这些资源到应该使用的地方：面向我们的老人，这是可以实现的。我们已经走上正轨，砍掉了一半的不合理支出——包括流向罪犯的钱，他们通过设计保险骗局和其他欺诈手段窃取纳税人钱财。我们不会在此止步。因为通过阻止这类的税金损失，我们不仅可以控制医疗保险的成本失控，而且可以改善老人们获得的保险的质量——我们将严厉打击那些掠食老人利益和占人民小便宜的人。
 
So we are no longer accepting business as usual.  We’re making tough decisions to meet the challenges of our time.  And as a result, Medicare is stronger and more secure.  That’s important.  Because Medicare isn’t just a program.  It’s a commitment to America’s seniors – that after working your whole life, you’ve earned the security of quality health care you can afford.  As long as I am President, that’s a commitment this country is going to keep.
 因此我们再也不会像往常一样接受现状。我们将做出艰难的决定来面对我们的挑战。作为结局，医疗保险制度将变得更加坚实更加安全。这很重要。因为医疗保险不仅仅是一项计划。这是对美国老年人的承诺——在你一生的努力工作之后，你应该享有你所能负担的安宁和高质量的医疗保健。只要我还是总统，国家将继续践行这项诺言。
 
Thank you.
 谢谢大家！
 
 

1 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

2 rebate   

v./n.折扣，回扣，退款；vt.给...回扣，给...打折扣

参考例句：

• You can claim a rebate on your tax.你可以要求退回部分税款。
• Customers are to benefit from a rebate on their electricity bills.顾客将从他们的电费退费中得到实惠。

3 prescriptions   

药( prescription的名词复数 )； 处方； 开处方； 计划

参考例句：

• The hospital of traditional Chinese medicine installed a computer to fill prescriptions. 中医医院装上了电子计算机来抓药。
• Her main job was filling the doctor's prescriptions. 她的主要工作就是给大夫开的药方配药。

4 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。

5 ramp   

n.暴怒，斜坡，坡道；vi.作恐吓姿势，暴怒，加速；vt.加速

参考例句：

• That driver drove the car up the ramp.那司机将车开上了斜坡。
• The factory don't have that capacity to ramp up.这家工厂没有能力加速生产。

6 premiums   

n.费用( premium的名词复数 )；保险费；额外费用；（商品定价、贷款利息等以外的）加价

参考例句：

• He paid premiums on his life insurance last year. 他去年付了人寿保险费。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Moves are afoot to increase car insurance premiums. 现正在酝酿提高汽车的保险费。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

8 solvency   

n.偿付能力，溶解力

参考例句：

• Fears about the solvency of the banks precipitated the great economic crash.对银行偿付能力出现恐慌更加速了经济的崩溃。
• Their targets,including profitability ratios,solvency ratios,asset management ratios.其指标包括盈利比率、偿债能力比率、资产管理比率。

9 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

10 solvent   

n.溶剂；adj.有偿付能力的

参考例句：

• Gasoline is a solvent liquid which removes grease spots.汽油是一种能去掉油污的有溶解力的液体。
• A bankrupt company is not solvent.一个破产的公司是没有偿还债务的能力的。

11 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

12 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

13 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

14 ramps   

resources allocation and multiproject scheduling 资源分配和多项目的行程安排

参考例句：

• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。
• He has the upper floor and ramps are fitted everywhere for his convenience. 他住在上面一层，为了他的方便着想，到处设有坡道。

15 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

16 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。

17 runaway   

n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的

参考例句：

• The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
• He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。

18 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。