Microinsurance grows in Colombia

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Some insurance companies are offering microinsurance for the poor, especially for health matters, meant to protect the poor against financial disasters caused by illness, death or crop failure. One of the places where microinsurance is taking off is Colombia. Reporter John Otis has the story from Barranquilla, Colombia. Download MP3

Health care for illegal immigrants

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The last piece of the health care reform law is now on its way to President Obama. He’s expected to sign it next week. The law’s main purpose is to extend health care coverage to millions of uninsured Americans. Non-Americans who are here illegally are still out of luck. The World’s Alex Gallafent reports on what that could mean for the nation’s health care system. Download MP3 (flickr image by taberandrew)

• Q&A: US healthcare reform
• On The World: Living with American health care

Living with American health care

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President Obama has signed his ground breaking healthcare bill at a ceremony in the White House. The bill was bitterly opposed by the Republican party, which argued that its provisions were too costly. Justin Webb (pictured) has experienced health care both in the USA and in the UK. He was the BBC’s North America editor, before moving back to Britain last year.

• BBC coverage
• Reporting US health care reform abroad
• Health coverage on The World

Reporting US health care reform abroad

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The House of Representatives has passed the landmark healthcare reform bill at the heart of President Barack Obama’s agenda. The bill was passed by 219 votes to 212, with no Republican backing. David Baron talks with Mitch Potter, Washington Bureau Chief of the Toronto Star, and Gregor Peter Schmitz, US Correspondent for Germany’s Der Spiegel, about how they are covering healthcare reform for their home countries. Download MP3

• Gregor Peter Schmitz: “US Health Care – Good for America, Bad for the World?”
• BBC coverage
• Video of President Obama’s reaction
• Health coverage on The World

Health care in Canada

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As the health care debate continues in the United States, Canada has been struggling to implement its own universal health care system. We talk with Roy Romanow, who was Premier of Saskatchewan from 1991 to 2001. Download MP3

• Health Canada
• Foreign lessons in hospital efficiency

Health care for illegal immigrants?

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In his speech on health care reform President Barack Obama told Congress he planned to improve health insurance for those who have it and to create an insurance exchange to extend cover to those who do not. For today’s show, the World’s Matthew Bell did some fact checking on claims and counterclaims that illegal immigrants will be excluded from government health benefits under any new reform plan.

• BBC coverage
• The BBC’s Jonathan Beale analyzes the President’s speech
• Full text of the speech

International political decorum

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Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) has apologized for his outburst during President Obama’s speech last night. Wilson shouted “You lie!” after the President said illegal immigrants would not benefit from his health care plans. Alex Gallafent is looking at questions of political decorum thrown up by the incident.Download MP3

• BBC coverage

Entire program – September 10, 2009

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Today on The World: a fact check on whether illegal immigrants will or won’t receive government benefits under Obama health care reform; Afghan journalists complain of double standards, after the rescue of a New York Times reporter and the death of his Afghan colleague; and one man’s quest to turn a favorite song into Portugal’s new national anthem.

Health care reform and illegal immigrants

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The World’s Matthew Bell does some fact checking on claims (and counterclaims) that illegal immigrants would be excluded from government health benefits under the health care reform plans being debated in Washington.

Decorum in Congress

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The World’s Alex Gallafent looks at questions of political decorum sparked by Republican Congressman Joe Wilson’s outburst during President Obama’s speech to Congress last night.