Sicko - The Future of American Healthcare

Let me start by saying I've never been a Michaelgive to three American volunteers at the 9/11
Moore fan. Being a libertarian Conservative all myWTC site.
voting life, I've always been opposed toWhile one knows that "Sicko" was made with a
"Socialized" medicine. However, firsthandbias in favor of a universal health care system,
experience in the healthcare business for the lastMoore makes the valid impression that the
17 years has shown me that our system ofsystem is broken and, like Humpty Dumpty, can't
health care (much like our tax system andbe put back together again. As a healthcare
education system) is broken beyond repair.provider, I've dealt firsthand with the Managed
Michael Moore's latest movie "Sicko" should be aCare nonsense. The movie is not far off, at all.
wake-up call for insurance companies, theAs I mentioned earlier, I'm not a fan of big
pharmaceutical industry and the AMA. The moviegovernment solutions to market problems.
starts out showing what can happen to workingHowever, the free market does NOT govern the
class Americans without health insurance, citingAmerican health care system. Between the AMA,
the story of a man who cut off the tip of twothe pharmaceutical cartel and the insurance
fingers in a work accident. Because he had noindustry, access to health care is limited. Not only
insurance and would be paying cash, he was givendoes that put upward pressure on prices, but
the choice of having one fingertip replaced forlends itself to market manipulation. The higher
$12,000 or the other for $60,000. What kind ofprices go the more consumers are forced to buy
choice could that possibly be? Of course, hehealth insurance EVEN with ever-increasing
chose to save the less expensive of the two.premiums and routine reductions in coverage. It's
The movie went on to show the fate of a couplea spiral that feeds on itself and will eventually lead
who had worked all their life, bought insuranceto collapse.
through their employers. Three heart attacks andFor those who would say, "We can't afford
a bout of cancer left the couple bankrupt anduniversal health care", it should be noted that
virtually homeless despite their insurancebetween Medicare and Medicaid we ALREADY
coverage.have (almost) universal health care. The only
The movie goes on to compare American healthgroup left out of America's government funded
care systems and those in Canada, England andhealth care is a large percentage of the working
France. And while I was somewhat put off byclass and the self-employed. Conservatives should
Moore's veiled support of socialism, the viewertake another look at a single-payer health care
can only come to the conclusion that our and theirsystem for a variety of reasons. Rising health
health care systems don't compare very well.care costs is a major reason American business is
Almost any American health care consumer willless competitive in the global marketplace. Further,
relate to the hassles of dealing with insurancethe aging baby boomer generation will soon be
companies, exclusions and long waits in theeligible for Medicare. When that happens,
Emergency Room and wonder if there isn't asubsequent generations of Americans will demand
better way. Even respected medical journalseither relief from the burden of paying for that
report that Americans' have shorter lifespan,extra care OR be included in the system
higher infant mortality rates and more cancer,themselves. My guess is that it will be both. The
heart disease and diabetes than the rest of theparty that resolves THAT problem will probably
industrialized world. The final comparison of therule the political roost for decades to come.
care rendered to Guantanamo detainees and that