Five years ago, filmmaker Michael Moore did a documentary called "Sicko'' on the crisis in America's health care industry. I just watched it this week with my good girl and it is even more relevant today with the health care debate going on.
If you haven't seen it, I recommend you getting it from your library or video store or Netflicks. Moore tells all the horror stories of people dying when they are denied a procedure or going bankrupt because of medical expenses and one older couple moving in the storage room of their daughter's house when they went bankrupt because of medical expenses.
And then he went to Canada, England and France and even Cuba -- yes Cuba -- to show how they have better health care than we do.
Of course, he could now do a sequel with the current debate. It is almost hard to believe. Obama gets a modest bill passed that eliminates some of the horrors like stopping the insurance companies from denying coverage because of pre-existing illnesess that was modeled after the bill Mitt Romney passed in Massachusetts that covers 98 per cent of the people and includes an individual mandate. And now Romney is running against it and threatening to repeal it if he is elected.
The critics talk about government takeover of health care when it actually leaves the insurance companies in charge. And, of course, we have government health care for those over 65 called Medicare and it is popular. Nobody would consider repealing that.
Well, enough of that rant but I would recommend the movie if you want a good luck about what a mess our health care system is.
FD
Three Clips on ST
3 hours ago
The insurance industry runs this country. They may not repeal Medicare but they want to drastically change it. As long as their plans don't change our politicians don't much care what happens to the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I will get off my rant. Thanks for the heads up. Michael Moore's movies are always so informative.
sunnygirl: A good subject to rant about. Yes, his movies are so informative.
ReplyDeleteFD
FD,
ReplyDeleteI find it amazing that Mitt Romney is more embarrassed about the health care bill he passed while governor of Massachusetts than he is about his bullying incident while in prep school. Speaks volumes about his character, or lack of it.
Suzanne
Yes it does.
DeleteFD
Michael Moore offers a subjective view not an objective one. As for the difference between Romney and Obama is that one smokes.
ReplyDeleteI happen to think there is a big difference.
DeleteFD
Please see "Inside Job" documentary. Especially take attention to the last episode. You will see responsible people of 2008 crysis work with Obama now. Bush, Obama, Romney etc. don't have any difference. USA is not a democracy. It's an absolute plutocracy. Financial tycoons jeer USA people via to submit them "president candidates" who are their toys. So I'm curious about reason of why USA people take the trouble of voting?
ReplyDeleteMoney does play a huge role in American politics, especially since the United Citizens decision but as I just said I disagree there is no difference in the candidates.
DeleteFD
He is a very good film maker, but so is George Lucas. Both film makers movies are equally real. He edits his clips to make it sound like exactly what he wants it to say. I'm sorry but health care is not a "right". Just like driving or owning a home. You want insurance, work hard to get a job that gives it to you, or make enough where you can pay your own health bills. There will always be people who won't be insured. Life isn't fair, but we all have the same opportunity to work for what we want. Cuba better health care? Now that is delusional at best. What is their life like other than that. Horrible!!! If you want to live under a dictatorship, go ahead and move there for your free healthcare.
ReplyDeleteCan't we have democracy and health care for all? They have it in Canada, England and France and most of the of the rest of the Western world. When Taiwan designed a health care system, they studied what various countries do and decided the best thing was not to do what America does.
DeleteFD
FD, I completely agree with your comment.
ReplyDeleteKiki
If healthcare in the US is so bad, then why do we have the highest cancer survival rates in the world? And why do people come here from all over the world to be treated? Rationed healthcare sucks--it means women may get a mammogram every 3 years, like in Britain, instead of annually. I think Moore's film is a bunch of baloney--do your own research!
ReplyDelete