John Q

Synopsis:

John Q. Archibald is an ordinary man who works at a factory and takes care of his family. His wife Denise and young son Michael are his world. But when Michael falls seriously ill and needs an emergency heart transplant operation that John Q. can't afford and his health insurance won't cover, he vows to do whatever it will take to keep his son alive. With time and options running out, a desperate gamble becomes his only hope--he takes the emergency room hostage. As John Q. barricades himself inside the hospital along with his unwitting group of emergency room hostages, many of them in need of medical care themselves, he faces off with a veteran police hostage negotiator and a quick-tempered police chief who both want to bring a swift end to the stand-off.

Reference: Hollywood.com

Rationale:

John Q portrays the important life lessons regarding the significance of health insurance. By watching this movie, you will become more engaged in the topic and will better understand the complicated topic of health insurance.

Video Questions:

Provided below is a list of discussion questions for John Q. After watching the movie, you will need to choose three questions and compose a five paragraph paper responding/reflecting to the movie and the posed questions.

  1. If you were the CEO of the hospital would you have worked a deal out with John Q to begin with, so his child could have received immediate attention? If so, what kind of deal would you worked out? (i.e. payment options, etc.)
  2. Why doesn’t the hospital bend the rules for John Q’s situation?
  3. Discuss the great immediacy of the situation and how vital health insurance can be to a patient’s life. How did the high anxiety, depression and emotional impact threaten thesituation?
  4. What was the issue that John Q faced with his boss regarding health insurance? What could have prevented this from being an issue?
  5. If you were an insurance agent, what different health insurance plans and options (i.e. covered benefits and comprehensiveness of plan) would you have recommended for John Q?
  6. Discuss the conversation between John Q and hospital CEO. Why was the transplant not covered?
  7. Do you think John Q explored all of his possible insurance options before holding people hostage? If no, what do you think may have been possible option(s) for him?
  8. How much do you think a heart transplant costs? Does the extremely high cost surprise you? Discuss how insurance companies handle the coverage for a heart transplant.

Evaluation Criteria:

  1. Format______/10

1” Margins

Double-Spaced

Times New Roman, Size 12

Introduction and conclusion paragraphs has a minimum of three sentences

Each body paragraph has a minimum of five sentences

Paper is typed with a minimum of one full page of writing

  1. Content

Is your response/reflection stated?______/15

Do you support your response / reflection logically?______/15

Paragraph 1 – Introduction

Paragraph 2 – Paragraph on first discussion question

Paragraph 3 – Paragraph on second discussion question

Paragraph 4 – Paragraph on third discussion question

Paragraph 5 – Conclusion

  1. Spelling & Grammar______/10

Total Possible Points______/50