I had so wanted to feel patriotic on this Fourth of July, as it's tiresome to always be embarrassed and critical of this country. Americans are a proud, resilient, hard-working, creative people and even a skeptic like me should take a moment to acknowledge that.
But last night I saw Michael Moore's newest film, Sicko, and once again, I'm trying to figure out a way to permanently emigrate. As a working American with health insurance, I certainly do not need to worry about our health care system, right? It's only those poor, lazy saps without insurance that should be afraid.
Um, no. Interestingly, this movie takes on the health-care industry from the point of view from people who are insured and how they've watched loved ones suffer and even die because of the insurance industry's obsession with the bottom line. Doctors are offered bonuses for denying care to sick patients; the system has been configured to provide the least care possible so that insurance corporations can rake in ever-growing profits.
In his usual bombastic style, Moore goes to other nations to compare what they have with our system. He talks to Brits, the French, and Cubans, all of whom have universal health coverage, an idea that has been likened to The Red Menace on our shores. The most poignant part of the film is when he compares the pathetic runaround that volunteer 9-11 rescue workers must go through to obtain health care for the results of their heroism - smoke inhalation and PTSD - to the comprehensive medical care provided for detained enemy combatants at Guatanamo Bay, Cuba. Although I wonder how much the detainees are really cared for medically, it's clear that the 9-11 rescue volunteers must go to absurd lengths (don't want to give the movie away) to receive the care they deserve. Love him or hate him, Moore makes the point that our nation's heroes deserve better.
Even if you're not a fan of Michael Moore, you probably know folks who deserve better medical care than they're getting. Here in the NO, we could fill the Superdome with people who don't have access to health care in the post-Katrina medical apocalypse. If you have any interest in improving the system, check out the film and consider ways that this great country can better care for its most precious natural resource: its people.
1. I wrote something similar about this recently: http://pistolette.blogspot.com/2007/06/new-orleans-is-no-place-for-sick-only.html
I haven't seen the movie yet, but there probably isn't much he could say that isn't true. I'm not sure putting the government in charge is the best idea, but giving the insurance and pharmaceutical corporations some reform would be a good start. When 80 year-old republicans are crossing the borders to get cheaper drugs there is clearly a problem no matter what your political affiliation is.
Posted at 10:29AM on Jul 5th 2007 by Mitraillette