Sicko Review

On June 29th I went to the local movie house to see the most important movie/documentary to hit the silver screen. The movie is Sicko by Michael Moore. The importance of this documentary stems from its subject matter: that is, the failures, shortcomings, and problems associated with the American healthcare system. Moore brilliantly forgoes the obvious approach to viewing the issue of healthcare in the U.S., focusing not on those who aren't covered (including myself), but on those who are supposedly covered.

Moore asserts that our current system of for-profit healthcare is not only unfair in its requirement to pay for healthcare, but that its inhumane to refuse treatment to people who are sick, injured, etc. for reasons the healthcare companies deem "not covered." Moore cites case after case of people refused for coverage on their healthcare claims for various reasons, some life or death. These victims of American healthcare are contrasted with patients in countries that have universal healthcare, like Brittain, France and Canada. European people see healthcare as a human right, therefore, there is no question of coverage or payment. Everything is covered, no citizen is refused.

Many critics of universal healthcare will say that countries like Canada that have a single payer government system will be waiting in line for healthcare, that people can die waiting for coverage. Well, in those countries, waiting for coverage may be necessary. However, doctors,not healthcare companies, decide who waits based on need. An emergency takes priority over a nonemergency. The hard facts are most industrialized nations enjoy healthier, longer lives thanks to universal healthcare. And more importantly, the infant mortality rates are lower than the U.S.. Given these two statistics, how can anyone argue against a medicare for all program.

Still, some detractors will fight to keep the profit in healthcare--I hesitate to call it healthCARE, because health insurance companies have taken the care out of health. It would be more accurate to call it the health industry. As most other industrialized and , even third world, nations understand, healthcare is a right, not a privilege. My hope is that a candidate who wants universal, single-payer healthcare is elected in 08.

peace is only a mind away