Just finished watching Michael Moore's new documentary on managed care in America, SiCKO. If you're an American, you really need to watch it. I was especially shocked when I heard this statement coming out of the face of the first President Bush, "If you think socialized medicine is a good idea, ask a Canadian." Excuse me? I'm Canadian, go ahead and ask me. If I am in an accident, I don't have to worry about my HMO denying coverage for the ambulance ride. I am not turned away from the hospital because I cannot pay. And Canada is not the only country that has universal health care. In fact more countries have a form of socialized health care than don't.
I think Moore does a decent job of sticking it to the bureaucrats. He visits the UK and France where he was amazed to talk to landed Americans about the differences in the health care systems that they enjoy in their new countries. He even takes some 9/11 heroes that were denied medical treatment in the US to Cuba, where they asked for and were granted without question treatment for their ailments. What kind of fucked up system is that?Tony Benn, former member of British parliament put it best, "What Democracy did was it moved power from the market place to the poling station from the wallet to the ballot... In the 1930's we had mass unemployment but you don't have any unemployment during the war...If you can find the money to kill people, you can find money to help people."
Most shocking is the trend for HMO hospitals to actually put patients in cabs and dump them in front of free clinics, IV's still in their arms, because they have no insurance. Un-fucking-believable.
It really does make you think. Why are American's putting up with this shit? Makes me glad to be Canadian as I am sure Brits and the French are thanking their lucky stars too.
6 comments:
We might have a moan over here about the National Health Service and how quick it is at times, but at least you know if you really need medical treatment, then you will receive it regardless of your financial ability to pay.
I've never understood the American sytem that can deny someone the treatment they really need just because no-one is going pay the bill.
Regards,
Ian
i wanna see that now, i like michael moore, he tells it like it is
I have live in both (currently US)and experienced both insurance. I have, what many would call,great heathcare with my company.. However my last hospital stay of 23 hours cost ME over $5,000. Good job the company pays 90%. In Canada, i would of had the same thing without the many bills... since everyone sends individual bills, hospital, x-ray, etc.. I think I had about 8 different bills! I have a folder of all my invoices that is about an inch thick. In Canada, I had 2 babies and one very long (over a month) hospital stay when my daughter got burned.. no bills.. no folder!
As someone who has worked in insurance for several years at all ends of the spectrum (and as a frequent patient of our current system), I'll tell you why Americans put up with it....
Because our legislators are in the pockets of Big Pharma, Big Insurance, and Big Health Care. There is no decision made in this country, at this time, that doesn't benefit either big business or the military. Fuck the constituents - fuck the poor - fuck the people that elected us. I can't think of how many people I know that are doing our most important work - teaching, social services, basic humanitarian stuff, that they themselves cannot afford, and there are no resources for them.
And as if our leaders selling us out wasn't bad enough, the statistics should be making people angry. America spends more PER CAPITA than any place in the world on healthcare...but only 75% of our citizens are "insured" - and most of them not adequately. We have LONGER wait times to get into see doctors than those in socialized medicine countries. We have LONGER lines in the ER. We have HIGHER infant mortality.
But all that’s ok, because a few people are getting rich off all of it.
Being the first American in a long generation of Canadians, I think about moving back to Canada every day. It’s not perfect, but it’s sure not the asshattery I see here every day.
and then we should talk about the difference in BANKING between the US and Canada! Again Canada WINS!
I need to rent this movie. I've heard so much about it already. Problem that I have with Michael More, and with anyone that makes this type of movie really, is that they only present one side of the argument. I happen to like and agree with his side, which makes it easier to swallow, but I always thought there should be 2 sides presented to every debate, don't ya think?
Hmmm...
Michelle (by the way the link back to me won't work, you'll have to use the new URL to my blog if you want to come over :-)
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