Universal Health-care & "Sicko": What do you think of it?

Question

I, for one, would much rather be taxed a little higher in order to receive Universal Health-care coverage. I hadn't realized before seeing "Sicko" how the American system is set up to LITERALLY put a price on our health! It's ridiculous.

We don't pay directly for our police, fire, or public libraries (which is why we pay state taxes), so why must we pay into this high-stakes game and gamble on such a priceless commodity as our nation's health?

Favorite quote:

Tony Benn - "If you can find money to kill people, you can find money to help people."

Please just see it before you knock it. In the UK doctors have incentives for having healthy patients--they get bonuses and raises. In America and our health industry, companies are trying to SAVE money so services are restricted. I suppose there is a give-and-take, pro/con list with each system. Go see and judge for yourself =)

Well, it seems a lot of people have it out for Moore. I flat out disagree with anyone who calls him a "bold-faced liar"; where's your proof? As a filmmaker, he has undoubtedly (and admittedly) taken liberties to "skew" his work and present in such a manner that may have omitted little facts -- take Fahrenheit 9/11 for example. I do recall reading about one scene where he omitted a fact about a soldier so it would fit the premise of his film. But would you consider this maliciously lying? The overall point of "Sicko" is attempting to do a public service while at the same time being entertaining. Building the documentary upon a shaky base would completely undermine his message and the five plus years of work he put into making this movie! He deserves at least some credit and not all this bashing.

Answer 1

Like all of Moore's films,Sicko at it's core has a valid correct message ,The knee jerk right wingers will trash the movie and that is amazing because over half of Americans that have no health care or inadequate health care are right wingers.

Ordinary working Republicans have ironically and insanely always voted against their own self interests be it taxes or demanding a universal health care system like all other western democracies.

The Health Lobby will soon be out their with their totally obfuscating/mis-represenation propaganda which will scare the %&%$ out of ordinary citizens and like the last efforts by H.Clinton ,these reprehensible companies will call those demanding universal health care COMMUNISTS and traitors to the AMERICAN WAY.

And this from a monumentally hypocritical country which claims to be CHRISTIAN all the while putting greed and profits before the moral/ethical dictates of Christ .


As I have always said,I love democracy for it is a political system in which citizens GET EXACTLY WHAT THEY VOTED FOR.

Just wait for all those trashing Moore's movie to come face to face with the money/profit grubbing health "care" system and are told that they and/or a loved one cannot have this or that or better still until those 47 million Americans without any health care and another 30 million which has "inadequate" care (77 million in total or near one third of the population) are told they cannot be treated at all.

Father forgive them.

Answer 2

It didn't tell me anything I didn't already know about the health industry. I've several friends who work or worked for providers, such as Principal Financial and United Healthcare. What Moore says in the movie is completely true. Healthcare companies have a profit incintive to DENY claims and not pay for treatments, and pretty much they will do as much as legally possible to get out of paying. UHC's CEO didn't get a $255M a year salary for nothing you know.
My suggestion is for universal health care that people can opt-out of. That way, only the insured would be taxed, although those with no income or below a certain povertly level would automatically be enrolled. Why enroll non-payers? Because that keeps them healthy and productive... and drops overall hospital costs. Those of you who don't want it can opt-out and use your private insurance... then you can decided for yourself which is better.

Answer 3

First, you have to understand that no society anywhere in the world has complete, unlimited coverage for health care. The argument over how to spread the money is the real key. We in the US spend twice as much on health care as most developed nations and yet we score below average in most measures of health. That makes for a good argument for some redistribution of wealth, but where to draw the line?
The US health-care industry is by far and away the most innovative in the world, and that would be stifled if we simply went to a system like others have. In order to redistribute health-care dollars to maximize health and not stifle innovation, we are going to have to have a national discussion about what to cover and what to leave alone. For instance, when hemodialysis for patients in renal failure became available, anybody in the US who needed it could get on Medicare part C and have it. In the British NHS, they decided to limit the treatment to people under age 65. We'll have to make the same sort of choice in every treatment and condition, and it's going to be inherently unfair to some people. To keep our innovations going, we'll have to have a lot of unfairness in the system. So far, we haven't been able to do so in our Medicaid programs, which are busting state budgets across the country despite the fact that Medicaid payments are often so low that they're money-losers to participating doctors and hospitals. (You mention police and fire, but Medicaid is half the state budget for many states already.) Neither have we come up with a system to reimburse hospitals for emergency care, despite the federal mandate that the care must be provided. Some of this could be done painlessly. For instance, we could save about $4 billion simply by getting rid of cold medicines, and nobody would be any the worse off. But most choices are going to be more painful than that. I personally think we can offer some universal basic coverage, and if everybody realizes no system can be fair, and restrictions for fairness' sake are not put into the system, we can have a better system and better health, but so far what we have is largely a lot of heartstring pulling (which is counterproductive) and free-lunch seeking.

Answer 4

A little higher? You?

Only about 50% of all Americans pay income taxes to the federal government. That means that there's about a 50% chance that you're one of the ones not paying. But if you are, thanks for contributing. You're a good American.

Secondly, a little? When I was living in Australia, the average Federal tax bite was over 60%. Even if you're at the top tier of American tax payers, that's still almost twice what we pay now. With the exception of the childrens hospitals which were excellent, their public health care system rivaled the worst inner city hospitals. And even this failing 'scheme', as they called it, was bankrupting the government to the point where those who could afford it were being requested to buy private insurance and use private hospitals which were excellent. If they did not, this request would become law. As an American with a wife and kids, I only used private hospitals when necessary. This experience is the same in every nation where socialized medicine is used.

Next, we already have socialized medicine for the most needy. If you're 65 or older, you receive medicare which means, basically that you get free necessary medical care anywhere you chose. My 83 year old mother in law recently spent over six months in the hospital. First in critical, then intensive care and recently was released home. Cost to her and my father in law? $350. Total cost to the government? About $300 THOUSAND.

Bottom line, NO ONE in the United States goes without necessary medical care. NO ONE. And even those who cannot afford it are well taken care of. But even if there were a genuine crisis, what in the world makes you believe that the government can adequately administer that care? Look how ineffective and inefficient the government already is. Do you really want to trust your healthcare to them?

I tell ya. If you're getting your information from Micheal Moore, you really need to get out more. All that man does is spread ignorance and folks don't have the wattage, experience or education to question it.

l3ubbathedog: Question: How many Americans go to Canada to receive critical care? How many Canadians come to America to receive critical care? And why?

Answer 5

Make no mistake about it: Moore is a political animal. He knows damn well that the real source of the problems in health care in America is not the HMO's and insurance companies that own them. Yet, he attacks only that sector, leaving alone the all-powerful AMA.

In their report, "Death by Medicine (2003)" two PhD's and four doctors of medicine conclude that the medical system itself, and not the inurance industry, is the leading cause of death and injury in the United States. Critical shortages of doctors and nurses were hidden from Congress by the AMA in order to play the supply-and-demand game with your health and safety. This caused Congress to fail to address the funding needs of our medical schools. This critical shortage--expected to reach 200,000 doctors and 1,000,000 nurses by 2020--along with encouraging people to overburden the system with minor complaints are the only reason Americans can't get in to see a doctor in a timely manner.

So, how many of us do they kill and injure every year? According to the study refenced above: 800,000 wrongful deaths and 20 million injuries, and some 40 million unneccessary procedures and prescriptions for over-priced drugs that kick back to the prescibers.

What insurance system can you conceive of that could hope to shell out so much cash in the face of this rampant fraud and abuse? Fix the insurance industry? Yes, of course. But is it the main the problem? Absolutely not!

Next time you hear some AMA-funded politico complain about "frivilous lawsuits" remind yourself that only 2% of meritorious cases ever get filed, and that if everyone entitled to seek damages were to do so, the entire medical and court systems would grind to halt.

Moore is taking a cheap shot at an easy target.

Answer 6

I haven't seen "Sicko" yet, but I can't wait to. I've worked in the HealthCare INDUSTRY for over 20 years, and believe me when I say that the Insurance Companies have the doctors by the short ones.
If the rest of the industrialized world can get this right, why can't we? I'm with you, I'm sure my tax dollar will be less than what my husband and I are paying in health care premiums right now.

Answer 7

I don't want to be taxed any more than I already am. Besides, I already have health coverage.

I could almost go for Universal Health care...if BOTH Medicare AND Social Security are dismantled at the same time. They won't be needed if Universal Health Care comes into play.

Answer 8

First of all , what make you think "universal health care" doesn't also put a price on your heatlh?? Thats is the problem with all these M Moore movies he only shows what he wants. Did you know that in countries with "universal heatlh care" that when treating cancers , they make an assesment based on your age ,if they decide to let you get treatment.

The only possible benifit of a "universal system" is that everyone would have some coverage. But you can bet the coverage would be worse.

Does the government run anything well??

Answer 9

First of all, universal health care is not an easy system to work out, you can't just say "oh we'll all just chip in a few extra bucks and we'll be good to go."

and what will happen to the quality of health care? government funded healthcare will certainly not be as good.

and under universal health care, would people not be getting the treatment that they WANT but only the treatment that the government deems necessary. standardized health care will do more harm than good.

JUST THINK ABOUT PUTTING THE GOVERNMENT IN CHARGE OF FUNDING YOUR HEALTH CARE! IT'S LIKE A BIGGER, SCREWIER INSURANCE COMPANY!

Answer 10

I saw Sicko, and I say do your own research...for the conservative people on here that write comments and have not even seen the movie, they need to do research themselves first. I think it is a shame we live in America! We could use space research, and military money to put that in the health care system. I will continue to do my own research, and I must say that I doubt Moore will uncredit himself and tell bold face lies, he tells the factsin his own perception, but theire not lies.