Moneyville

Maya decides one sunny Saturday afternoon to get out of the house and take a hike on a nearby forest trail. She calls up Tamika and invites her along. Together the two pack up some supplies and head out for the woods. They spend the afternoon climbing to the top of a hill, spotting birds and other wildlife along the way. Everything is going great until they begin the walk back: Maya trips over a tree root and loses her balance, falling down hard. Her leg feels too painful to walk, so Tamika hurries back to Maya's house to tell her parents.

Later at the hospital, the doctor tells Maya that her leg is broken and she will need to wear a cast for a month. Fortunately, all of the medical expenses are covered by her family's health insurance. It's a good thing that they were prepared for this kind of accident.

Have you or someone in your family ever needed health insurance? If so, what did they need? Have any of your friends had to go to the hospital for a medical problem?

• Do you have individual medical insurance or is your medical insurance part of your family's medical insurance?
• Is dental insurance included in the family medical insurance?
• Does your family have to go to specific doctors or a specific health care facility?
• Does your medical insurance cover most of the cost of prescriptions?
• Does your medical insurance cover for most of the cost of an operation in a hospital?
• Does your medical insurance cover for physical therapy after an operation?