Low-Cost Health Insurance Soon Available in Senegal

From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.

Low-cost health insurance is about to be available to students and informal sector employees in Senegal through a World Bank Program. Nearly two-thirds of all Senegalese are unable to get health insurance, many of these people fall into debt when they get sick or suffer an accident.

The World Bank Group's International Finance Cooperation is working with the International Center for Development & Research to provide the insurance. The bank says it plans to offer low-cost, private health insurance plans in Senegal as part of the area's first private co-pay program.

Tiphaine Crenn is an operations officer at the IFC. He says health insurance through private companies is very costly in the West African nation. He says about 65 percent of people in Senegal do not have any health care coverage.

FILE - A sick child in a Dakar hospital.

In Senegal, only civil service employees or workers at companies with more than 50 employees, are able to receive health care coverage. Mr. Crenn said this means many people take out loans to pay for the cost of health care. He says this can empty a family savings.

The IFC says that it will work with six private Senegalese insurance companies to share the costs of health risks. It says it will offer micro-healthcare products at well below normal costs.

Mr. Crenn said other health care plans can cost between $500 and $600 a year in Senegal, and are difficult to get. The IFC program will offer plans as low as $16 per year.

Although plans that include hospital visits will cost up to $60 per year. Students can get basic health care and pharmacy services if they get injured at school or on the way to school for just $3 per year.

In exchange for these yearly fees, people will receive a health card that requires them to make payments of equal to 20 percent of normal treatment or medication costs. Mr. Crenn says such a system could change the future of health care in Africa.

He said if the system really works, it could provide a lesson for West Africa. Mr. Crenn said the pilot program plans to target around 108,000 people during the first year in Dakar.

The program is expected to expand to Senegal's Thies and St. Louis areas. After that the program may be offered in neighboring countries.

And that's the VOA Learning English Economics Report. VOA's Jennifer Lazuta provided this report from Dakar. I'm Mario Ritter.

词汇解析

insurance

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.保险;保险费;安全保障

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

His insurance is $ 300 a year.

他的保险费是每年三百美元。

He's applying for two other jobs as an insurance against not passing the interview for this one.

他还申请了另外两份工作，以防这份工作面试不合格。

available

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

adj.可利用的;可得到的;有空的;有效的;<贬>【政】有资格的，适合的

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

The Prime Minister was not available for comment.

首相无暇作出评论。

The round trip ticket is available for two months.

返程票两个月有效。

debt

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.债务;恩情;负债状态;义务;罪

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

He promised to pay his debt within a month.

他保证在1个月内偿还债务。

Liabilities are the obligatio or debt that a busine must pay in money or services at some time in the future.

负债是指将来需用货币或服务偿还的债务或履行的义务。

private

难度：5星基本词汇，属常用1000词

英汉解释

adj.私人的;个人的;私下的;私有的;缄默的

n.士兵;列兵

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

The public is fascinated by the private lives of public figures.

公众对社会名流的私生活具有浓厚的兴趣。

用作名词 (n.)

Soldiers are classified as Private, Specialist Sergeant and Master Sergeant.

士兵分为列兵、专业军士、军士长。

costly

难度：3星常用词汇，属常用6000词

英汉解释

adj.昂贵的;代价高的

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

The costly post was postponed because of the frost.

那件昂贵的邮件由于霜的缘故而延搁。

normal

难度：5星基本词汇，属常用1000词

英汉解释

adj.正常的;正规的;精神健全的

n.常态;标准

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

Everything is absolutely normal.

一切完全正常。

用作名词 (n.)

It was several days before the floodwater sank and life returned to normal.

过了几天洪水才退,生活恢复了正常。

exchange

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

v.交换;兑换

n.交换;交易所;兑换;交战

参考例句

用作动词 (v.)

We exchanged our opinions about the event at the meeting.

在会上，我们就此事交换了意见。

用作名词 (n.)

Gold shares jumped at the Stock Exchange yesterday.

证券交易所黄金股票昨天又大幅度上涨了。

yearly

难度：3星常用词汇，属常用6000词

英汉解释

adj.每年的

adv.每年地;一年一次地

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

Many Greek cities had to send yearly tribute to Athens.

许多希腊城市不得不每年向雅典进贡。

用作副词 (adv.)

I get a physical examination yearly.

我一年做一次身体检查。