Sicko

I finally rented this. Just like Fahrenheit 9/11, I've always enjoyed how Moore presents his argument with wit & banter while also triggering outrage & sympathy. It's also his ability to change (or at least challenge) your perception. Manipulation? Maybe. Maybe not. But it works.

It really is tragic when you see hardworking, middle class folks who do have insurance but run into serious, chronic illnesses and how their lives are turned upside down due to high premiums & deductibles , when you learn of the fate of a baby girl in an emergency situation because she was brought to a "out-of-network" hospital, how a medical director of a large HMO company really gets compensated, how you learn that there are 4 healthcare lobbyists for every congressmen, how Al Quaida prisoners at Gitmo appear to have access to a higher quality of care than most Americans, and how what appeared to be a homeless person with incomplete stitches but without insurance was just thrown out into the street from the hospital, how there are healthcare professionals employed to research and look for -anything- in your history that you might have overlooked or did not know about so that the HMO can deny your claim / treatment even if it is life critical, and many other stories. Exaggerated? Maybe. Maybe not. For example, re: the middle class couple, the film does not disclose if they had sufficient savings to cover their deductibles or if they were in fact living paycheck to paycheck.

The Universal Healthcare in Canada, England, France, & Cuba seems too good to be true. For example in France the film shows how mothers get a generous 6 months paid leave and a goverment worker comes to your house to care for your child. Contrast this to my coworker who pays $1600 / month for daycare. Housecalls from doctors are supposedly free. And in all of the countries mentioned, no one gets turned away or denied healthcare. "But the quality of healthcare in those countries are substandard! " Not according to what is shown. " But doctors in those Socialist systems don't get paid well!" Not sure about the other countries listed above but at least the doctor shown in Britain seems to be living pretty well. "Ok, then they must being paying up the wazoo in taxes. The money's got to come from somewhere!" That might be the answer if the information here is close to being current. But for those who are really sick, paying higher taxes is probably worth not being dead.

So yes - Moore's arguments, while seemingly convincing, are presented through a series of anecdotes . Which are not unreasonable to question - just how factual / balanced / comprehensive are they? The Mrs. tells me that many of the patients that she treats at the country hospital are in fact illegal immigrants without insurance yet still get treated. Supposedly no patient is ever turned away or "left to die." So what I confused about is there some loophole that those illegal immigrants know about? Or is it just certain hospitals that will toss you into the street? So Sicko may or may not be giving full disclosure but I think the film accomplishes it's objective in trying shock you and perhaps inspire you take some form of action - a simple discussion, your own research, or the fact that I felt compelled to blog about it to raise awareness of the film. And yes, I know of the Michael Moore bashing and how it continues on. Nonetheless, I still say watch it, research the facts and make up your own mind. More info on HR676 and here.