Tell me what u think about michael moore documentary sicko?

Question

it makes me feel like moving to France or great Britain.......due to the fact of health care and going into debt for it.......

Answer 1

I haven't seen it, but look forward to getting an opportunity to see it, I always enjoy his stuff.

David S I don't know where you get your information about the NHS here in Britain from.

I don't know anyone who goes abroad for treatment; I do know people who pay for private health care, but in most cases they don't get better care than on the NHS.

The NHS is very far from perfect and should receive far more funding. Creeping privatisation such as in hospital cleaning has caused huge problems, and doctors and nurses are overworked. However in the last four years I have received treatment and follow-up care for breast cancer which I believe is second to none.

You could not buy better nursing care than I had in hospital; prostheses where needed and wigs if needed for chemo are provided and replaced free of charge. Reconstruction for breast cancer patients is free and can be taken up any number of years after surgery.

I hear of American women unable to have a prosthesis after mastectomy, and of Americans leaving hospital within hours of surgery - because they simply can't afford it, and people going into debt to pay for cancer care. I think that's obscene.

And btw I never have any problem seeing a doctor or other health professional when necessary.

Answer 2

I think Michael Moore is a talented documentarian. I have not seen his film, Sicko, but know I would probably enjoy it though not necessarily agree with everything he states.

I'm often not sure where people are coming from in their views about health care. I do know that insurance is extremely expensive and absolutely criticial to the healthcare of any individual in the US. I dislike the idea that health insurance costs so much, however if most people work they will have health insurance coverage. It is really the people who chose not to work or choose not to have health coverage (for whatever reason) and than they encounter a catastrophic illness that are the problems here in the states. My son was diagnosed with a very rare sarcoma. We have had to fight the insurance company for benefits all the way . . its been challenging, annoying, and sometimes emotional . . but, you know what . . my sons bills top over one million dollars and our insurance has covered the entire cost of it. Out biggest beef is that the insurance companies are so disorganized and they put people with catastrophic illness through hell when it is not necessary. There is no doubt that the insurance companies need to be tailored to be more patron friendly . . that they exist to serve us and not the other way around. We pay for our insurance and should receive all that we are due.

As for the medical field . . we are dealing primarily with pediatric and adolescent oncology and they have been outstanding to us. There is definitely work that can be done to improve this service so that it is more equal. I think what most people do not realize in today's medicine is that the patient now has more control over their own healthcare. You hire a doctor for their expertise and agree to allow them to treat you. If at anytime you want to withdraw from their treatment and seek out a second or third opinion . . that is your choice.
A patient and caregiver also must do more research to find current treatment options (although if you have a good doctor they will be doing this research too). More and more patients and caregivers are in control than they were even ten years ago.

So, we have excellent healthcare in the US, but it is often left up to the patient and caregiver to locate it . . which requires research and time which ironically is something you might not always have. (more and more patients are now hiring a Patient Advocate who finds the best treatment for your individual case.) Still . . the excellent treatments are available usually at the larger designated comprehensive cancer centers. As for costs . . if you have good health insurance . . which I would consider a high priority . . than almost all your treatment will be covered. It is those who do not have good health insurance who unfortunately will go into debt. Still, the good healthcare is available, and with further investigation those who do not have money can still use programs like Hill Burton (which offers free or reduced cost hospital coverage). Those people I know who have little money have managed to find good health care but use medicare, medicaid, and other programs for funds.

Answer 3

I thought it was very good. I identified with it since I have an HMO and they have been very slow in approving care for me and my husband who died recently. They caused him much pain because of their slowness in response to getting help. It took 2 1/2 months from first being told I had cancer to finally getting treatment because of the slow process of approval. I am going to get out of the HMO asap, but that means that I have to wait until January to be in another insurance. I like what other countries have, but my family, friends and what is important to me are here in the United States. So no, I don't want to move. I think this country is in for a major change in providing health care services.

The scare tactics about socialized medicine just don't work anymore. We find we have at least two tiered medicine now. And, it is poorly administered. We need to have a system that puts the population first. What is happening now is that those with the money get what ever they want, and those without are damned. We pay in taxes for services we don't get. Rich people get a form of welfare by write offs. There is something really wrong here.

I think people are finally catching on to this.

Answer 4

It is a good critique of the American health care system but leaves much to be desired in its examination of socialized medicine, I know for a fact that health care in Canada is a disaster, its impossible to see anyone, there is little medical care offered in rural areas, they simply dont have the money for it. There are actually a lot of American hospitals that serve many, many Canadians. Also, there are an increasing number of Brits who go abroad for their health care as well due to some of the same issues. We're not the only ones that have a health care system that needs improving, though I do admit ours is in more dire need of improvement that countries with socialized medicine.
I get my info from two places, the first being that I work at a hospital where there are many many Canadians and a few Europeans who come for treatment, I assure you Moore didn't interview them. Secondly, have a look at these articles below to see what I am talking about. A court in the UK recently ruled that people who went abroad for treatment could be reimbursed, why did they go abroad? cause they had to wait too long.

Answer 5

in case you think of well being care interior the u . s . a . is undesirable now, wait till the government takes it over! i do no longer comprehend why such a lot of persons are prepared for the government to boost its involvement in well being care. this type of circulate might deliver approximately larger expenditures and worse outcomes. At maximum suitable, public well being care might carry out besides as public practise -- which fits properly in wealthier components, yet is little extra advantageous than warehousing in many inner cities. it may desire to be as undesirable as public housing, which maximum person-friendly persons understand as a guy made disaster. It takes a Kool-help drinker like Michael Moore to have self belief that Cuba is the paradise that Castro touts. (i do no longer propose to denigrate the efforts of Cuba's scientific experts, who make do with a strategies fewer components than docs interior the u . s . a . or Western Europe.) the u . s . a . is meant to offer equivalent risk, no longer equivalent outcomes. the only way all and sundry is equivalent is that if all and sundry is in poverty. all and sundry different than the government leaders and their kin and cronies, of direction!

Answer 6

You have to give Mr. Moore credit. He does a brilliant job of bringing attention to important issues.

PS
The strength of the system that I use in Canada is its absolute reliability. I cannot be refused service because a hospital or doctor is in or out of plan. My insurance will never lapse, my visits to my various doctors do not force me to think about the cost. I cannot be refused because of my history. Feels good not to have to worry about the costs for the next round of cancer, or anything else.

Answer 7

Well I think it's really STUPID of people to shoot the MESSENGER because it just shows to me (and to the rest of the world) how stupid some people really are, because they live in TOTAL DENIAL.

The USA has one of the worst health care systems in the world.

However, people refuse to believe that, because if they have money, of COURSE they can get GREAT HEALTH CARE!!

That's the way the world has always been (oh ye fools).

So of course no one is going to BELIEVE this "great country" is anything less than "great" because what the hell do they know about anything outside their little box they exist in???

So what do I think of Michael Moore's movie?

I haven't seen it to be honest, been too busy, but from what I'e seen I know enough to know the man is an honest person, trying to expose sides to things he believes in, much like Mia Farrow is trying to do by exposing the brutal things she has witnessed by going to Darfur (a woman watched her husband and children get their throats sliced and thrown down a well and said go tell the people what they are doing here....how can you ignore that??) and my point is that people are ignorant and refuse to see the TRUTH, so what can you do about STUPIDITY???

NOTHING.

So what do I think? I don't care because as we speak my dad is getting the best of care in ICU with a round the clock nurse outside his isolation unit and 5 specialists working on trying to find out what caused his illness and it's all covered by our wonderful health system.

God bless OUR country CANADA and what do some of you morons know about our health care? In 40 years I have never seen it let me or my family down and I had a team of specialists working on my son, 11, who had cancer, including social workers, and we even got financial support during that time too. They cured him and he is fine and we STILL receive assistance and care for the family, psychologically and otherwise.

So screw America and it's health care system...you can have it baby, I'm staying right here where I know I am getting the best care in the world.

From all that I've learned about the American health care system by people in here (who are seemingly doing without, playing doctor to themselves and taking "natural" remedies which potentially can kill or ruin their health and thinking it's all ok, and being diagnosed with stage 4 cancers because they don't get the proper diagnoses as who can affort MRIs and CT scans and all the expensive tests it takes to diagnose EARLY cancers which can be cured, what do you expect the outcome to be when it's spread??)

No, no, no people....open your eyes and educate yourselves and don't put down people who are trying hard to make a positive impact on this world while the rest of you live in your own little versions of reality.

Answer 8

It makes me angry. Americans are so obsessed with being against socialism that they can't even acknowledge that socialized medicine would be a huge relief for most of us. They say, "I don't want the government telling me who I can see when I'm sick" but then let some HMO tell them they can't even visit the doctor. Pure insanity.

Answer 9

Personally, I do not put much credence into what Mr. Moore puts out. It isn't so much because the topics aren't legitimate, but more because his films involve the kind of editing which makes it seem like everyone agrees with his stance.