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视频|女议员诸葛连弩,美国CDC主任终于松口:新冠检测全民免费!

独到英语大眼 独到英语 2020-10-28


自付费用、承担全部费用、预防措施

用英语怎么说?


特朗普在前天的电视讲话中,一再强调“美国拥有世界上最好的医疗资源”,“民众感染新冠病毒的风险很低很低”。


但是越来越多的媒体都认为,美国实际感染病毒的人数可能被大大低估了。


一方面,如美国纽约州州长和卫生部门高官承认,美国新冠病毒的检测能力,不能满足当前的检测需求。


另一方面,很有可能是,很多美国人根本没钱去做新冠病毒的检测!


在前天的美国国会听证会上,来自加州的众议员Katie Porter, 手拿白板,当场为卫生部和疾控中心的官员算了笔账!


不算不知道,一算吓一跳!


美国至今还有3000多万人没有任何医保,如果没有医保,去医院挂急诊(ER visit),做一套常规的全血检测(complete blood count test)、代谢功能检查(metabolic panel)、甲流(flu A)和乙流(flu B)测试,自付费用(out-of-pocket cost)高达1331美元


而一旦成为疑似,隔离病房的费用是一天4000美元,高得令人乍舌!


于是,这位语速超快、言辞犀利的女议员质问卫生部的官员:你们是准备只给有钱人做检测呢?还是给全美国人做检测?


之后,她又将矛头指向了疾控中心的主任,拿出了《美国联邦法规》(Code of Federal Regulations, CFR)中针对CDC的具体条款,层层紧逼,环环相扣。


最终,她成功地迫使CDC给每个人免费检测新冠病毒的承诺!


Katie Porter怒怼卫生部和CDC实在太过精彩,CNN几乎全文不落,记录了她在听证会上和官员们的唇枪舌剑、你来我往。


看了上面有中文字幕的视频,不妨来学习下CNN的这篇英文报道。


Democratic Rep. Katie Porter successfully pressed(逼迫) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief during a congressional hearing(国会听证会) on Thursday to agree that the agency will pay for testing for the novel coronavirus.


The exchange(交锋) came after President Donald Trump, while addressing the nation on Wednesday night, incorrectly implied(暗示) that coronavirus patients could access(获得v.)free treatment. 


Many insurers(保险公司) have said they will pick up(承担) the cost of coronavirus testing for some policyholders(投保人), but not the treatment -- and a test or treatment that is covered(保险覆盖的) is not necessarily free.

△ 这里涉及到几个和保险相关的词语,可以学习一下:insurer是指保险公司,policyholder是指投保人,policy就是保单的意思,被保险人是insured,covered指有保险覆盖的。


"Dr. Kadlec, for someone without insurance, do you know the out-of-pocket cost (自付费用) of a complete blood count test(全血检查)?" Porter, a California Democrat, asked Robert Kadlec, the assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Department of Health and Human Services(美国卫生与公共服务部负责预防和应对的助理部长), who said that he did not.


Porter, who is known for her incisive(尖锐的)questioning of witnesses, then asked Kadlec whether he knew the prices of several medical services that could be associated with(与...相关的) a coronavirus test, writing down her own figures for each service on a whiteboard she had brought to the House Oversight Committee (众议院监督委员会)hearing. All of his guesses were slightly to significantly above the amounts that Porter cited.


"This is like 'The Price Is Right,' " she said, writing down the different figures for a grand total of $1,331.

△ The Price Is Right是美国一档猜商品价格的节目


"Fear of these costs are going to keep people from being tested, from getting the care they need and from keeping their communities safe," Porter said, citing statistics on how many Americans cannot afford unexpected medical expenses, "and we have a $1,331 expense, conservatively(保守地), just for testing for the coronavirus."

△ 在列出数据后,Porter议员表示“害怕医疗费太高,会导致老百姓无法获得检测,无法获得医疗救治,无法保证社区安全。”


Porter then turned her attention to Dr. Robert Redfield, the head of the CDC, asking him, "Do you want to know who has coronavirus and who doesn't?"


"Yes," Redfield replied.


"Not just rich people, but everybody who might have the virus?" Porter asked.


He responded, "All of America."


The cost of coronavirus testing became more of an issue(问题更严重)last week when the test kits (检测设备) started becoming available in commercial and hospital labs. Prior to(在此之前)that, the CDC was picking up the tab(承担全部费用) for testing in public health labs.

△ pick up the tab是一个口语表达,表示承担费用。


Porter then pressed Redfield on whether he was familiar with 42 CFR 71.30, reading aloud the statute(法令), which states that the CDC "director may authorize(批准,授权) payment for the care and treatment of individuals subject to medical exam(ination), quarantine and isolation."

△ 作为法律教授的Porter有备而来,拿出了《美国联邦法规》,指出疾控中心的主任按法律规定,有权批准政府为接受医疗检查和隔离的民众买单。


"That I know about and my office did tell me that, I just didn't know the numbers, ma'am, congresswoman," Redfield said.


Porter then asked, "Dr. Redfield, will you commit to the CDC, right now, using that existing authority to pay for diagnostic testing, free to every American, regardless of insurance (不管有没有保险)?"


Redfield responded, "Well, I can say that we're going to do everything to make sure everybody can get the care they need --"


"Nope, not good enough," Porter interjected(插话), reclaiming(要求归还) her time and reiterating (重复)the question, "yes or no?"

△ 疾控中心主任显然是被打了个措手不及,试图回避做出承诺,Porter议员毫不留情地打断了他的话,因为议员发言都有严格的时间规定,所以当她感觉对方没有正面回答问题时,要求“收回她的时间”,即这部分内容不算在规定时间内。


Redfield replied, "What I'm going to say is, I'm going to review it in detail with CDC and the department --"


"No, reclaiming my time," Porter interjected, citing a letter that she and other Democratic lawmakers had written him on the issue "one week ago" requesting a response by Wednesday -- before reiterating her question again.


"What I was trying to say is that CDC is working with HHS now to see how we operationalize(实施,具体操作) that," Redfield replied.

△ operationalize指具体实施,可以翻译成政策如何落地。


"Dr. Redfield, I hope that that answer weighs heavily on(沉重地压在)you , because it is going to weigh very heavily on me and on every American family," she said.

△ weigh on表示(不好的事)令人苦恼,压在心头。


He responded, "Our intent(意图) is to make sure that every American family gets the care and treatment they need at this time in this major epidemic and I am currently working with HHS to see how to best operationalize it."


"Dr. Redfield, you don't need to do any work to operationalize," Porter continued. "You need to make a commitment(做出承诺) to the American people so they come in to get tested. You can operationalize the payment structure tomorrow --"


"I think you're an excellent questioner, so my answer is yes," Redfield said. 


CNN has asked the CDC for comment on how this commitment will work going forward and how Americans -- particularly the uninsured -- can access this benefit.


It is unclear whether Redfield was committing to pay only for the coronavirus test itself or also for visits to the emergency room or doctor's office and for other tests.


"Excellent! Everybody in America hear that -- you are eligible (有资格的)to go get tested for coronavirus and have that covered, regardless of insurance," Porter said. "Please -- if you believe you have the illness, follow precautions(预防措施), call first, do everything the CDC and Dr. Fauci -- God bless you for guiding Americans in this time -- but do not let a lack of insurance worsen (使...恶化)this crisis."

△ 这里提到的Dr. Fauci是指美国国家过敏和传染病研究所所长,美国最著名的传染病专家之一。


Redfield responded, "And I would just like to echo(随声附和,重复) what you said: It's ... very important (to) public health that ... those individuals that are in the shadows can get the health care that they need during this, the time of us responding to this outbreak."


视频来源:“英国报姐”微博

文章来源:CNN


complete blood count test 全血检测

metabolic panel 代谢功能检查

out-of-pocket cost 自付费用

ballpark figure 大致估算 

quarantine 隔离

pick up the tab 承担全部费用

weigh on 重压于

interject 插嘴

operationalize 具体实施

precautions 预防措施

独到英语




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