奥巴马演讲 Strengthening Our Health Care Workforce 2
文章来源:未知 文章作者:meng 发布时间:2010-06-21 05:46 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)

Now, this fight wasn’t new for the ANA.  I understand you were one of the only major health care organizations that supported the creation of Medicare from the start.  (Applause.)    And I want to recognize one of your leaders -– Jo Eleanor Elliott of Colorado, who is here today and was your president back then –- for the courage and leadership she showed.  (Applause.)   Where is she?  There you are right there.  Give her a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

So you’ve been there before and you were here this time.  And I want to thank the ANA for advocating(提倡,主张) for health care reform –- for ensuring that the voices of nurses and of patients were heard.

Now, already, we’re seeing the start of a profound(深远的,渊博的) shift as reforms begin to take effect.  We’re giving ordinary consumers and small businesses more power and protection in the health care system -– and we’re knocking down barriers that stand between you and the people who you care for.

A few weeks ago, 4 million small business owners and organizations got a postcard in their mailbox from the IRS.  Now, usually that's not good news.  (Laughter.)  But this time it was because it told them that they could be eligible1 for(有资格的) a health care tax cut this year -- a tax cut worth potentially tens of thousands of dollars for those small businesses; a tax cut that will help millions to provide coverage2 to their employees.  That's happening now.

In many cases, young adults without health insurance are now able to stay on their parents’ plan until they’re 26 years old.  (Applause.)  Even though insurance companies had until September to comply with this rule, we asked them to do so immediately to avoid coverage gaps for young adults, and most have agreed.

Starting this month, relief is also available to businesses for providing coverage to retirees(退休人员) who are not yet eligible for Medicare.  And as of last week, senior citizens who fall into the doughnut hole have started receiving a $250 rebate3 to help them afford their medication -- and we’re going to keep on going until we close that doughnut hole completely.  (Applause.)  In the meantime, we’re strengthening Medicare by going after the billions of dollars in waste and fraud and abuse in the system.  And states like Maine and Connecticut are beginning to predict budget savings4 as pieces of reform come online.

So we’ve begun making coverage more affordable5.  In addition, the new health care law has also started to end the worst insurance industry practices.  You know them.  For too long, we’ve been held hostage to an industry that jacks6 up(顶起,提高) premiums8 and drops coverage whenever they please.  Those days are coming to an end.  (Applause.)

So after my administration demanded that a large insurance company justify9 a massive premium7 increase on Californians, the company backed off its plan.  My Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, has urged states to investigate other rate hikes.  We’ve set up a new Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight10.  And we’ll provide grants to states running the best oversight programs to root out(根除,发现) bad practices when it comes to premiums.

Now, as of September, the new health care law prohibits insurance companies from dropping people’s coverage when they get sick, which is critical to giving people some peace of mind.  (Applause.)  But when news reports indicated that an insurance company was dropping the coverage of women diagnosed with breast cancer, my administration called on them to end the practice immediately -- don’t wait till September.  (Applause.)  And soon after, the entire industry announced that it would comply with the new law early and stop this perverse11(不正当的,倔强的) practice of dropping people’s insurance when they fall ill and when they need coverage the most.  (Applause.)

Some were also questioning whether insurance companies could find a loophole in the new law and continue to discriminate12 against children with preexisting conditions.  So we called on insurance companies to step up, provide coverage to our most vulnerable(有弱点的,易受伤害的) Americans.  And the insurance industry has agreed.

In just two weeks, Americans denied coverage because of preexisting conditions will be able to enroll13 in a new national insurance pool.  And for states that opt14 to run their own pools -- using funds from the new law -- we’re urging them to begin enrolling15 people as soon as possible.  And these pools are going to provide some short-term relief, but they're temporary.  They’re going to ensure that folks who have been shut out of the market because they’ve been sick can access more affordable insurance starting right away.  But what we want is these health insurance exchanges up and running in a few years, so that, at that point, this kind of discrimination will finally be banned forever.  (Applause.)  And that’s when those -- that's when the millions without coverage, including people with preexisting conditions, will have the access to the same types of insurance plans that members of Congress get.  And you know those must be pretty good.  (Applause.)

We’re also going to be putting in place a patient’s bill of rights that will tell insurance companies that they can’t put a restrictive limit on the amount of coverage you get in your lifetime, or in a given year.  It will prevent insurance companies from rescinding16(废除,撤回) your coverage when you get sick because of an administrative17 error.  It will provide simple and clear information to consumers about their choices and their rights.
 
And beyond making insurance more affordable and more secure, reform also will mean changes that make it easier for you -- the backbone18(决心,支柱) of the health care system -- to do your jobs.  Already, over the past year, we’ve made one of the largest investments in the nursing and health workforce19 in recent history.  (Applause.)  We passed landmark20 reforms to make college more affordable, which can help more people gain a nursing degree –- even as we provide grants and aid for more than 15,000 nurses seeking graduate degrees and other training.  (Applause.)

And we’ve begun the transition to private and secure computerized health records, because this will not only reduce errors and costs -– I know you can’t read those doctors’ handwriting -- (laughter) -- it will mean you can spend more time with patients and less time with paperwork.  And that's why you got into the profession.  (Applause.)

Now, there is more work to do.  And that's why today my administration is announcing a number of investments to expand the primary care workforce.  This includes funding to allow students training part-time to become nurse practitioners21 to start training full-time22.  (Applause.)  We want to speed up the process where folks go from the classroom into the exam room.  And we’re going to provide resources for clinics run by registered nurses and nurse practitioners.  (Applause.)

Without these nurses, many people in cities and rural areas would have no access to care at all.  Now, all of these steps are part of a larger effort to make our system work better for nurses and for doctors, and to improve the quality of care for patients.  And by focusing on primary medicine, we will finally recognize the role of all talented and skilled health care providers –- including nurses.  (Applause.)

I don’t have to tell you that nurses all too often have been given short shrift.  Even amidst a nursing shortage, when there are cutbacks, you feel the squeeze in salaries or the reduction in shifts –- despite being overworked and underpaid.  And, as you know, this disregard goes beyond numbers on a ledger23.  There have been a bunch of times, I’m sure, when the service you rendered is thought to be less consequential24 or valuable than that of other professions.  That's what has to change.

It’s important that we not only ensure that you have the support to do your jobs -– we’re seeking to elevate and value the work that you do, because -- (applause) -- throughout our history, nurses have done more than provide care and comfort to those in need.  Often with little power or sway on their own, nurses -- mostly women, historically -– have been a force of will and a sense of common decency25(正派,体面) , and paved the way towards better care and a more compassionate26 society -- from Clara Barton’s treatment of wounded soldiers at Antietam, to the advocacy of Dorothea Dix on behalf of people with mental disabilities, to the countless27 nurses whose names we’ll never know.

One of America’s greatest poets, Walt Whitman, also served as a nurse during the Civil War.  And the experience changed him forever.  Later, he would reflect on that time, on both the heartbreak and the fulfillment he found during those years.  And he wrote:

I thread my way through the hospitals,
The hurt and wounded I pacify28(安慰,平定) with soothing29 hand,
I sit by the restless all the dark night,
Some are so young, some suffer so much,
I recall the experience sweet and sad

Sweet and sad.  Your jobs are tough.  Your days can be stressful and exhausting and sometimes thankless.  But through long shifts and late nights -– in the hectic30(兴奋的,狂热的) scrum(扭打,混乱) of the emergency room, or in those quiet acts of humanity -– you are saving lives, you are offering solace31(安慰,慰藉) , you’re helping32 to make us a better nation.  And my task as President –- our task as a people –- is to ensure that our health care system is worthy33 of your efforts.  Our mission must be to live up to(实践,做到) the values you uphold(赞成,鼓励) each and every day.

So, thank you.  God bless you.  And God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)  Thank you, everybody.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

END



点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 eligible Cq6xL     
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。
2 coverage nvwz7v     
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。
3 rebate GTIxY     
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。
4 savings ZjbzGu     
n.存款,储蓄
参考例句:
  • I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假,那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
  • By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时,他的存款已全部用完。
5 affordable kz6zfq     
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。
6 jacks 2b0facb0ce94beb5f627e3c22cc18d34     
n.抓子游戏;千斤顶( jack的名词复数 );(电)插孔;[电子学]插座;放弃
参考例句:
  • Hydraulic jacks under the machine produce the movement. 是机器下面的液压千斤顶造成的移动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The front end is equipped with hydraulic jacks used for grade adjustment. 前瑞安装有液压千斤顶用来调整坡度。 来自辞典例句
7 premium EPSxX     
n.加付款;赠品;adj.高级的;售价高的
参考例句:
  • You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
  • Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后,清水便因稀而贵了。
8 premiums efa999cd01994787d84b066d2957eaa7     
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》
9 justify j3DxR     
vt.证明…正当(或有理),为…辩护
参考例句:
  • He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
  • Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗?
10 oversight WvgyJ     
n.勘漏,失察,疏忽
参考例句:
  • I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
  • Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。
11 perverse 53mzI     
adj.刚愎的;坚持错误的,行为反常的
参考例句:
  • It would be perverse to stop this healthy trend.阻止这种健康发展的趋势是没有道理的。
  • She gets a perverse satisfaction from making other people embarrassed.她有一种不正常的心态,以使别人难堪来取乐。
12 discriminate NuhxX     
v.区别,辨别,区分;有区别地对待
参考例句:
  • You must learn to discriminate between facts and opinions.你必须学会把事实和看法区分出来。
  • They can discriminate hundreds of colours.他们能分辨上百种颜色。
13 enroll Pogxx     
v.招收;登记;入学;参军;成为会员(英)enrol
参考例句:
  • I should like to enroll all my children in the swimming class.我愿意让我的孩子们都参加游泳班。
  • They enroll him as a member of the club.他们吸收他为俱乐部会员。
14 opt a4Szv     
vi.选择,决定做某事
参考例句:
  • They opt for more holiday instead of more pay.他们选择了延长假期而不是增加工资。
  • Will individual schools be given the right to opt out of the local school authority?各个学校可能有权选择退出地方教育局吗?
15 enrolling be8b886d0a6622fbb0e477f03e170149     
v.招收( enrol的现在分词 );吸收;入学;加入;[亦作enrol]( enroll的现在分词 );登记,招收,使入伍(或入会、入学等),参加,成为成员;记入名册;卷起,包起
参考例句:
  • They lashed out at the university enrolling system. 他们猛烈抨击大学的招生制度。 来自辞典例句
  • You're enrolling in a country club, Billy. 你是注册加入乡村俱乐部了,比利。 来自辞典例句
16 rescinding 2680d617588e1023372de45e064b33ba     
v.废除,取消( rescind的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • You realize this effectively kills any chance we have of rescinding that order. 你意识到了这样我们就没机会废除这一命令? 来自电影对白
17 administrative fzDzkc     
adj.行政的,管理的
参考例句:
  • The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
  • He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。
18 backbone ty0z9B     
n.脊骨,脊柱,骨干;刚毅,骨气
参考例句:
  • The Chinese people have backbone.中国人民有骨气。
  • The backbone is an articulate structure.脊椎骨是一种关节相连的结构。
19 workforce workforce     
n.劳动大军,劳动力
参考例句:
  • A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
  • A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。
20 landmark j2DxG     
n.陆标,划时代的事,地界标
参考例句:
  • The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
  • The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。
21 practitioners 4f6cea6bb06753de69fd05e8adbf90a8     
n.习艺者,实习者( practitioner的名词复数 );从业者(尤指医师)
参考例句:
  • one of the greatest practitioners of science fiction 最了不起的科幻小说家之一
  • The technique is experimental, but the list of its practitioners is growing. 这种技术是试验性的,但是采用它的人正在增加。 来自辞典例句
22 full-time SsBz42     
adj.满工作日的或工作周的,全时间的
参考例句:
  • A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
  • I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作,我不知道她是如何对付的。
23 ledger 014xk     
n.总帐,分类帐;帐簿
参考例句:
  • The young man bowed his head and bent over his ledger again.那个年轻人点头应诺,然后又埋头写起分类帐。
  • She is a real accountant who even keeps a detailed household ledger.她不愧是搞财务的,家庭分类账记得清楚详细。
24 consequential caQyq     
adj.作为结果的,间接的;重要的
参考例句:
  • She was injured and suffered a consequential loss of earnings.她受了伤因而收入受损。
  • This new transformation is at least as consequential as that one was.这一新的转变至少和那次一样重要。
25 decency Jxzxs     
n.体面,得体,合宜,正派,庄重
参考例句:
  • His sense of decency and fair play made him refuse the offer.他的正直感和公平竞争意识使他拒绝了这一提议。
  • Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。
26 compassionate PXPyc     
adj.有同情心的,表示同情的
参考例句:
  • She is a compassionate person.她是一个有同情心的人。
  • The compassionate judge gave the young offender a light sentence.慈悲的法官从轻判处了那个年轻罪犯。
27 countless 7vqz9L     
adj.无数的,多得不计其数的
参考例句:
  • In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
  • I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。
28 pacify xKFxa     
vt.使(某人)平静(或息怒);抚慰
参考例句:
  • He tried to pacify the protesters with promises of reform.他试图以改革的承诺安抚抗议者。
  • He tried to pacify his creditors by repaying part of the money.他为安抚债权人偿还了部分借款。
29 soothing soothing     
adj.慰藉的;使人宽心的;镇静的
参考例句:
  • Put on some nice soothing music.播放一些柔和舒缓的音乐。
  • His casual, relaxed manner was very soothing.他随意而放松的举动让人很快便平静下来。
30 hectic jdZzk     
adj.肺病的;消耗热的;发热的;闹哄哄的
参考例句:
  • I spent a very hectic Sunday.我度过了一个忙乱的星期天。
  • The two days we spent there were enjoyable but hectic.我们在那里度过的两天愉快但闹哄哄的。
31 solace uFFzc     
n.安慰;v.使快乐;vt.安慰(物),缓和
参考例句:
  • They sought solace in religion from the harshness of their everyday lives.他们日常生活很艰难,就在宗教中寻求安慰。
  • His acting career took a nosedive and he turned to drink for solace.演艺事业突然一落千丈,他便借酒浇愁。
32 helping 2rGzDc     
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。
33 worthy vftwB     
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的
参考例句:
  • I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
  • There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。
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