Salud !?!
Written: Jul 31 '07 (Updated Jul 31 '07)
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: A solid overview of healthcare in America and other lands
Cons: Doesn't look at another problem in American healthcare
The Bottom Line: Say "Ah!" - if you can afford it.
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| pmills1210's Full Review: Sicko |
In Sicko, Michael Moore reflects on the various tales of American healthcare woes he shares in his film and sadly wonders, "Who are we?"
Americans have been told they live in a land of plenty. Some would say that America is most plentiful, though, for those who have the financial means to take care of their every need. Sicko takes aim in particular at America's health maintenance organizations, whose practices promote selective payments. They defend non-payment of claims on grounds such as experimental procedures and lack of prior authorization. The doctors who are trusted to treat illness are often among the HMO bureaucrats who will deny coverage. One person who was denied coverage for an ambulance ride shows her HMO had denied payment, even though she had been knocked unconscious in an auto accident. Another woman discusses fighting her HMO over chemotherapy for treatment of breast cancer because the HMO deemed experimental, even though her treatment is considered routine for such cancer.
Moore also looks at the divide over such matters in Washington DC. Over the course of more than three decades, some lawmakers and chief executives have pushed for the cost control of HMOs. Others have sought programs aimed at aiding all Americans, only to have their calls for universal healthcare dismissed as socialized medicine. The healthcare industry, Moore notes, has four times as many lobbyists as members of Congress. With these various factions looking to get their way in business, the United States ranks 37th in the world in quality of healthcare. It's a shame that, in leading nation such as the USA, people have to make decisions such as eating or purchasing needed medication. In a case from the film, one man who suffered a woodworking accident had to decide how many fingers he could afford to keep.
In addition to his look at healthcare in the USA, Moore visits with patients and healthcare professionals in Canada, England, France, and Cuba. In some of these countries, individuals have rallied their lands behind the concept of making healthcare available and affordable to all. Moore shows that Americans who claim that a form of universal healthcare will mean long waits are disproven as he talks with both patients and doctors on the situation. When he goes to Cuba, he takes three of the firefighters who did rescue work in the aftermath of 9/11 who have had problems getting the medical attention they need stateside.
Sicko is no more balanced than any other Michael Moore film I've seen. Moore makes films that are aimed at getting the American working class a fairer shake in governmental affairs. In this movie, Moore also implies that Americans need to be less complacent and cynical regarding the actions of their elected officials that lead to initiatives that benefit just a few. He also mentions free and inexpensive services Americans routinely get, such as police and fire protection and mail delivery. Whether people agree with him or not, Moore gives viewers points to ponder. If this documentary is missing one element, it's Moore's omission of ways where doctor and patient fraud have contributed to the problems with American healthcare. Political rules and red tape may lead people to tell lies to reap benefits, but Moore never discusses those Americans who firmly believe in the adage, "Two wrongs make a right." Moore simply concentrates on the big money that gets change only when change is purchased through myriad influences.
Still, Moore takes on an issue that directly influences people with a mix of compassion and some cynical observation of his own. In Canada, Moore not only talks to patients and doctors, but he also visits with a couple of his own relatives who vow to never cross to visit with him south of the border. In England, he asks a pharmacist a series of questions about prescriptions, and gets the same price every time. In France, Moore rides with a doctor who makes house calls in the middle of the night, and asks Americans living in France about the big differences between the French and American approaches to medical care. In Cuba, Moore not only finds them care, he arranges a meeting between the Americans and a squad of Cuban firefighters, who show the bonds of their profession and the admiration the Cubans have for the 9/11 workers.
Moore does pull back the reins a bit on the humor, though. Some of the stories, Moore knows, cannot be told with his brand of caustic and sharp-witted observation. A couple of former HMO insiders, one of whom is a doctor, admit that their work denied coverage to people, and that some died as a result of their denials. A mother in Los Angeles relates the story of how her youngest child died because an ambulance service could not be found quickly enough to transport her child to a facility where she could receive the treatment she needed. Others who can't pay in HMO-controlled hospitals are simply placed in cabs and dumped in front of facilities where payment is not a prerequisite for treatment. Hospitals are supposed to be in a business where care and compassion are practiced. These qualities obviously come with certain conditions at some facilities. While Moore doesn't provide balanced reporting, he shows he wants to see a balance in the care received by people. He even cites one example of how he aided a critic of his movies so this person could continue to criticize Moore.
It's been said that the business of America is business. In Sicko, Michael Moore takes a look at the portions of American healthcare whose practices should be seen as troubling. People should have access to medical treatment, regardless of the ability to pay. Will universal healthcare mean that Americans will have socialized medicine or longer waits to see a physician? After traveling to countries where healthcare laws and practices are different, Moore shows that neither socialized medicine nor long waits are likely to occur. Part of the problem with American healthcare is that capitalism has run too rampantly. Some HMOs have pockets deep enough to influence lawmakers to keep money flowing into their coffers. What will it take to ensure equal access to treatment for all Americans? How rich do HMOs and other companies have to become before they turn their attention to those less fortunate than they are? It seems that, in the land of plenty, some Americans are so business-minded, they place the need for an ever-growing stack of money ahead of all other concerns. When the welfare can become as neglected as the examples demonstrated in Sicko, nobody can say there is any real profit.
This is an entry in the French & English Finds Write_Off hosted by ifif1938.
This also meets the criteria for entry in the Canadiana 2007 Write-Off hosted by elvisdo. Please click on either hyperlink for rules and other entries.
Thanks, Barbara and Charles.
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Serious Movie
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Nothing
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pmills1210
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Member: Pat Mills
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"Nothing in moderation." - Ernie Kovacs. Read and enjoy!
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