Chapter 12 — Quiz
Try the whole quiz before checking the key.
Multiple choice
1. Which Western country has the most complex, expensive, mostly private healthcare system? - A) the UK - B) Canada - C) the United States - D) Australia
2. In the UK, the NHS is: - A) private and expensive - B) free at the point of use, funded by taxes - C) only for citizens over 65 - D) the same as US insurance
3. A "GP" or "PCP" is: - A) a specialist surgeon - B) your primary/family doctor and gatekeeper to specialists - C) a pharmacy - D) an insurance company
4. In the US, for a non-life-threatening illness you should usually go to: - A) the ER (it's cheap) - B) urgent care / walk-in clinic or your PCP - C) the hospital's surgical ward - D) nowhere
5. A "deductible" is: - A) a monthly fee to have insurance - B) the amount you pay yourself before insurance starts covering - C) a tax refund - D) a doctor's title
6. "In-network" doctors are: - A) more expensive - B) covered (cheaper) under your insurance plan - C) not real doctors - D) only in hospitals
7. In most of the West, antibiotics: - A) can be bought over the counter freely - B) require a doctor's prescription - C) are illegal - D) are free at supermarkets
8. Seeking mental-health support (therapy/counseling) in the West is: - A) shameful and hidden - B) increasingly normal and destigmatized — it's okay to seek help - C) only for emergencies - D) illegal
9. The number-one US healthcare mistake newcomers make is: - A) having too much insurance - B) being uninsured/underinsured - C) seeing a GP - D) filling prescriptions
10. Dental and vision care, especially in the US, are: - A) always included in health insurance - B) often separate from main health insurance - C) free - D) banned
11. (new) A US medical bill that seems too high is: - A) always final and non-negotiable - B) often reducible — request itemization, financial assistance, or a payment plan - C) illegal to question - D) automatically forgiven
12. (new) Tao almost suffered alone because he carried a home-culture belief that: - A) doctors are too expensive - B) seeking mental-health help is shameful/weak - C) the ER is free - D) antibiotics cure everything
True / False
13. The US emergency room is free if you have no insurance. (True / False)
14. In universal-system countries, you should register with a GP / for a health card early. (True / False)
15. US healthcare is broken in ways that even many Americans struggle with. (True / False)
16. You can request a free interpreter at many hospitals. (True / False)
17. (new) University counseling centers are mainly used for severe crises only, not ordinary adjustment stress. (True / False)
Short answer
18. Explain the difference between the ER, urgent care, and your GP/PCP — and when to use each.
19. Name two things to do before you get sick to prepare.
20. Why is the US healthcare system described as "the great outlier" (the Honesty Box)?
21. (new) Name three steps to reduce a shockingly high US medical bill.
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Answer Key
- C. 2. B. 3. B. 4. B. 5. B. 6. B. 7. B. 8. B. 9. B. 10. B. 11. B (often reducible). 12. B (mental-health stigma).
- False — the ER must treat emergencies but you'll get a (often huge) bill; it's not free. 14. True. 15. True. 16. True. 17. False — adjustment, stress, and loneliness are among the most common reasons students use them.
- Model: ER = life-threatening emergencies (very costly in the US); urgent care/walk-in = urgent but not life-threatening (cheaper); GP/PCP = routine care and the gateway (via referral) to specialists.
- Any two: get insured/registered; choose a GP/PCP; know the nearest urgent care and the emergency number; understand your plan; save an "if I get sick" plan in your phone.
- Model: It's market-based, very expensive, leaves many uninsured, causes medical debt and surprise bills, and is something even locals find indefensible — unlike the universal systems in the rest of the West.
- Any three: request an itemized bill and check for errors; ask about financial assistance/charity care; request a payment plan; negotiate the total; confirm in-network status; appeal an insurance denial.