1. America’s hidden nightmare for sick poor
Level 3 Advanced
1 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.
whistleblower trolley wary appal mired
manipulate scupper recess waver testify
1. If you ___________________, you hesitate because you are not sure what to do.
2. If you ___________________ someone’s plans or hopes of success, you spoil them.
3. If something ___________________ you, it makes you feel very shocked or offended.
4. If you ___________________, you make a statement about something you know, saw or experienced, usually
in a court of law.
5. A ___________________ is a short time between periods of work in an official organization, especially a court
or a parliament.
6. A ___________________ is someone who reports dishonest or illegal activities within an organization to
someone in authority.
7. A ___________________ is a bed with wheels used in hospitals.
8. If someone or something becomes ___________________, they are caught in an unpleasant situation from
which there is no escape.
9. If you ___________________ people, you influence or control them in a clever or dishonest way.
10. If you are ___________________ of someone or something, you are nervous because you think they might
cause you a problem.
2 Find the information
Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible.
1. How many US citizens do not have health insurance?
2. When did Bill Clinton attempt to reform the American healthcare system?
3. How have the Republicans described Obama’s healthcare reform plans?
4. When did Wendell Potter become a whistleblower?
5. Where was the free medical clinic Potter visited?
6. How long did Potter work for the US healthcare firm Cigna?
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NEWS LESSONS / America’s hidden nightmare for sick poor / Advanced
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2. America’s hidden nightmare for sick poor
Level 3 Advanced
Whistleblower tells of America’s 5 Potter’s claims are at the centre of the biggest
hidden nightmare for its sick poor political crisis of Barack Obama’s young
presidency. Obama, faced with 47 million
Paul Harris
Americans without health insurance, has put
26 July, 2009
reforming the system at the top of his agenda.
If he succeeds, he will have pushed through
1 Wendell Potter can remember exactly when he
one of the greatest changes to domestic policy
took the first steps on his journey to becoming
of any president. If he fails, his presidency
a whistleblower and turning against one of the
could be broken before it is even a year old.
most powerful industries in America. It was July
Last week, in a sign of how important this
2007 and Potter, a senior executive at giant US
issue is, he addressed the nation in a live TV
healthcare firm Cigna, was visiting relatives in
news conference. It is the sort of event usually
the poverty-ridden mountain districts of northeast
reserved for a moment of deep national crisis,
Tennessee. He saw an advert in a local paper for
such as a terrorist attack. But Obama wanted
a touring free medical clinic just across the state
to talk about healthcare. “This is about every
border in Virginia.
family, every business and every taxpayer who
continues to shoulder the burden of a problem
2 Potter, who had worked at Cigna for 15 years,
that Washington has failed to solve for decades,”
decided to check it out. What he saw appalled
he told the nation.
him. Hundreds of desperate people, most without
any medical insurance, descended on the clinic
6 Obama’s plans are now mired and the
from out of the hills. People queued in long lines
opponents of reform are winning. The
to have the most basic medical procedures
Republican attack machine has cranked
carried out free of charge. Some had driven more
into gear, labelling reform as “socialist” and
than 200 miles from Georgia. Many were treated
warning ordinary Americans that government
in the open air. Potter took pictures of patients
bureaucrats, not doctors, will choose their
lying on trolleys on rain-soaked pavements.
medicines. The bill’s opponents say the huge
cost can only be paid by massive tax increases
3 For Potter it was a dreadful realization that
on ordinary Americans and that others will
healthcare in America had failed millions of poor,
have their current healthcare plans taken away.
sick people and that he, and the industry he
Many centrist Democratic congressmen, wary
worked for, did not care about the human cost of
of their conservative voters, are wavering. The
their constant search for profits. “It was
legislation has failed to meet Obama’s August
over-powering. It was just more than I could
deadline and is now delayed until after the
possibly have imagined could be happening in
summer recess. Many fear that this loss of
America,” he said.
momentum could kill it altogether.
4 Potter resigned shortly afterwards. Last month
7 To Potter that is no surprise. He has seen all
he testified in Congress, becoming one of the
this before. In his long years with Cigna he rose
few industry executives to admit that what its
to be the company’s top PR executive. He had
critics say is true: healthcare insurance firms
an eagle-eye view of the industry’s tactics of
push up costs, buy politicians and refuse to
scuppering political efforts to get it to reform.
pay out when many patients actually get sick.
“This is a very wealthy industry and they use
In chilling words he told a Senate committee: “I
PR very effectively. They manipulate public
worked as a senior executive at health insurance
opinion and the news media and they have built
companies and I saw how they confuse their
up these relationships with all these politicians
customers and dump the sick: all so they can
through campaign contributions,” Potter said.
satisfy their Wall Street investors.”
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NEWS LESSONS / America’s hidden nightmare for sick poor / Advanced
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3. America’s hidden nightmare for sick poor
Level 3 Advanced
8 He says the industry is afraid of Obama’s 9 Comprehensive healthcare reform in the US
reforms and that is why it is fighting so hard. has been an ambition of many presidents since
It scuppered Bill Clinton’s attempt at reform in the early part of the 20th century. None has
the 1990s and Potter admits that he is worried succeeded in creating a system that gives all
the industry might win again. “I have seen their Americans the right to health cover. Barack
tactics work. I have been a part of it,” he said. Obama is desperate to avoid the same fate.
He knows he has no chance of ever working
again for a major firm. “I am a whistleblower and
corporate America does not like whistleblowers,” © Guardian News & Media 2009
he said. But there is one thing Potter is not First published in The Observer, 26/07/09
sorry about: leaving the healthcare industry and
speaking out. “I have absolutely no regrets. I am
doing the right thing,” he said.
3 Comprehension check
Choose the best answer according to the text.
1. Why did Wendell Potter become a whistleblower?
a. Because he wanted the USA to introduce a socialist healthcare system.
b. Because he realized the healthcare industry was more interested in profits than people.
c. Because he wanted to scupper Obama’s health reform plans.
2. Why was it unusual for President Obama to use a live TV news conference to talk about healthcare?
a. Because such events are usually reserved for moments of national crisis, such as terrorist attacks.
b. Because Obama does not usually broadcast live to the American people.
c. Because Obama has not previously expressed an interest in healthcare reform.
3. Why, according to Potter, will he never be able to work for a major company again?
a. Because he resigned from Cigna.
b. Because he supports healthcare reform.
c. Because he is a whistleblower.
4. What did Potter see in Virginia in July 2007?
a. A lot of poverty.
b. People receiving medical treatment in the open air.
c. People driving to the hills for medical treatment.
he people who visited the free medical clinic were people without health
insurance.
2. Potter believes that the American healthcare has failed millions of poor, sick
people.
3. The Republicans are in favour of Obama’s healthcare reforms.
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NEWS LESSONS / America’s hidden nightmare for sick poor / Advanced
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4. America’s hidden nightmare for sick poor
Level 3 Advanced
4 Find the word
Find the following words and phrases in the text.
1. A two-word expression meaning extremely poor. (para 1)
2. A two-word expression meaning very wet after rain. (para 2)
3. An adjective meaning so strong that you cannot control it. (para 3)
4. An adjective meaning making you feel suddenly very frightened or worried. (para 4)
5. A verb meaning to abandon. (para 4)
6. A three-word expression meaning bear the cost of a difficult problem. (para 5)
7. A three-word expression meaning to start working effectively. (para 6)
8. A three-word expression meaning an excellent view of something from a high position. (para 7)
5 Phrasal verbs
Match these phrasal verbs from the text with their meanings.
1. turn against a. perform
2. check out b. succeed in getting a law accepted quickly
3. push up c. go and examine something to see if it is satisfactory
4. push through d. state your opinion publicly about something
5. carry out e. make something increase
6. speak out f. stop supporting someone and start opposing them
6 Word building
Complete the sentences using the correct form of the word in brackets at the end of each sentence.
1. ___________________ of Obama’s healthcare reforms say they will lead to tax increases. [OPPOSE]
2. The healthcare industry is an extremely ___________________ one. [WEALTH]
3. The industry has built up ___________________ with politicians. [RELATE]
4. Healthcare companies have made ___________________ to political campaigns. [CONTRIBUTE]
5. The free medical clinic carried out basic medical ___________________. [PROCEED]
6. Obama’s ___________________ is facing its first crisis. [PRESIDENT]
7 Discussion
What are the arguments for and against free healthcare for everyone?
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NEWS LESSONS / America’s hidden nightmare for sick poor / Advanced
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5. America’s hidden nightmare for sick poor
Level 3 Advanced
KEY
1 Key words 5 Phrasal verbs
1. waver 1. f
2. scupper 2. c
3. appals 3. e
4. testify 4. b
5. recess 5. a
6. whistleblower 6. d
7. trolley
8. mired
9. manipulate 6 Word building
10. wary
1. opponents
2. wealthy
2 Find the information 3. relationships
4. contributions
1. 47 million 5. procedures
2. in the 1990s 6. presidency
3. as “socialist”
4. in July 2007
5. Virginia
6. 15 years
3 Comprehension check
1. b
2. a
3. c
4. b
4 Find the word
1. poverty-ridden
2. rain-soaked
3. overpowering
4. chilling
5. dump
6. shoulder the burden
7. crank into gear
8. eagle-eye view
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NEWS LESSONS / America’s hidden nightmare for sick poor / Advanced
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