Healthcare, Why Should I Care?

 

Topic: Health Care/Medicare

Entire Activity Download (1.2 MB, 37 pages)

 

Individual Downloads

• Teacher Administrative Information
• Teacher Background Information
• Teacher Answer Key
• Student Handout: Health Care What Does It Mean?
• Student Handout: Health Care Why Should I Care?
• Student Handout: The History of Health Care
• Student Health Care Scenario Cards
• Student Background Information
• Student Data Pages
• MediMaster Guide
• Workmen's Compensation
• Poverty Thresholds and Guidelines
• Health Care Glossary

Keywords

health care scenario, health care, Medicare, Medicaid, Workmen’s Compensation

Search Curricular Keywords

 

Key Concepts

health care, medicare, medicaid, health care insurance, health care benefits and services, social studies

 

Process Skills Utilized

reading, critical thinking, organizing information, interpreting information, health literacy skills

 

Intended Grade Level - 6-8

 

Activity Description
Students will take a pre-test about health care (or the teacher can set up a KWL chart with 3 columns labeled “What I Know” (K), “What I Want to Know” (W), and “What I Learned” (L). The teacher will lead a class discussion of each before and after the lesson.) After completing the pre-test or KWL chart, the answers will be reviewed and discussed. They will then watch a video clip about the Health Care Crisis in the U.S. Once they understand the importance, students will read three articles of background information – “HealthCare: What Does It Mean?”, “The History of Health Care”, and “HealthCare, Why Should I Care?” This will prepare them for the activity.

 

Objectives

Using health care scenarios, students will be able to:

• explore the concept of health care.
• identify the major characteristics of Medicare, Medicaid and Workmen’s Compensation.
• distinguish the eligibility requirements of Medicare and Medicaid.
• compare and contrast the benefits and services of Medicare and Medicaid.

Activity Materials

• Internet for Health Care Crisis video clips
• Class sets of "Health Care, Why Should I Care?" and the "History of Health Care"
• MediMaster Guide Booklet
• 3 sets of Health Care Scenario Cards, cut and laminated (60 total)
• 1 Copy Student Data Page (per student)

Activity Management Suggestions

1. Copy a class set of The MediMaster Appendix for students to use as they complete their Student Data Pages.
2. Begin lesson by asking the class several health care related questions that students will NOT answer, but rather will reflect upon in silence. These questions might include:
   • What do you do when you get sick? How does your family get help for you?
   • Many people get sick and are not able to get treatment – think for a minute about the following:
     • What happens when a poor person gets hurt/injured?
     • What happens when a poor elderly person needs medicine?
     • How do disabled people who cannot work pay for housing, food and medicine?
     • How do poor people who no longer have families to take care of them get help when they are sick?
3. Show Health Care Crisis video clips.
4. Administer Health Care Pre-test (included in Student Data Page) or do a KWL chart with your students.
5. Read “The History of Health Care” and “Health Care, Why Should I Care?”
6. Allow each student to choose a Heath Care Scenario Card.
7. Each group will have three or four cards (depending on # of students in group)
8. Working together or independently, students will each complete the MediMap (Part II of Student Data Page) and Health Care Scenario Graphic Organizer (Part III of Student Data Page) for each Health Care Scenario Card.
9. Have students work in groups of 2 to complete 4 scenario cards.
10. If students draw a duplicate card, they should put it back and draw another. They should have 4 different cards per each group of 2 students.

Modifications

Students will answer questions and discuss in CLG (Cooperative Learning Groups) instead of reflecting silently.

 

Extensions

Students will create Health Care Scenarios to be resolved by students.

Students can make a timeline of “The History of Health Care” background.

 

Activity References Used

American Association of Retired Persons
http://www.aarp.org/

 

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid:
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/

 

Federal Statistics: http://www.fedstats.gov/

 

Government Websites for Kids:
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/subject.html

 

Health care Crisis, Who’s At Risk? (Video)
http://www.pbs.org/healthcarecrisis/

 

Interactive Timeline:
http://www.kff.org/medicaid/medicaid_timeline.cfm

 

US Census Bureau
http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en

 

Medicaid Disability Guidelines:
http://www.kff.org/medicaid/4027.cfm

 

Medicaid Eligibility PowerPoint™
http://www.kaiseredu.org/uploadedFiles/Medicaid%20Basics(2).ppt

 

Medicaid Handbook:
http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/chip/reports/ConsumerGuideEnglish.pdf

 

Medicare Website:
http://www.medicare.gov/

 

Social Security: www.socialsecurity.gov

 

Workers’ Compensation:
www.workerscompensation.com/texas.php

 

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Funding

Positively Aging® Curriculum Program Funding 1997-2008:
National Institutes of Health
National Center for Research Resources
National Institute on Aging
Science Education Partnership Award
Grant # R25 RR 18549

 

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