SiCKO. A Must Watch Film For All Health Insurance Policy Holders
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It’s not a movie about those Americans living without a health insurance but a movie about those US citizens who have a health insurance, but is just useless when in dire need. Michael Moore has captured those emotions raw, of helplessness arising out of insurance company mistreatments. He throws some light on the fatally flawed, corrupt US healthcare system. Having a health insurance doesn’t mean you’re protected, may be anyone who has spent some time dealing with those health insurance companies may be knowing what a mess it is. You pay your health insurance premiums pronto, but when you actually need them, they go out of their way without helping you. The health insurance companies are in the business of finding reasons not to spend money to fatten their profits and balance sheets, but do you know how far they’ll go? This film depicts the ugly face, the naked truth, to the core on how people are left to die because of insurance companies refusing treatment, how people are dropped from policies for bogus reasons, how hefty premiums are stamped up on you, or that you may have a health insurance policy but that might not be covering all the drugs or diseases. No one may be spared except if you’re a CEO of an HMO (Health Maintenance Organization).
I pray god that while Barrack Obama strives to revolutionize and reform the whole healthcare process in the United States, addresses the issues raised in this documentary, finds an answer to those burning questions, and prioritizes to resolve them either by socializing healthcare (universal health plan) as mentioned in the documentary or by any appropriate means along with his current healthcare reforms. (The movie mentions Hillary Clinton and she too is back in power!)
To be frank, though the American healthcare system is earning me the bread, but I started hating it after watching this documentary. In god’s name I swear, true to my heart, if I could be at the helm of the Indian government one day, I would give my life and soul to reform the whole healthcare process here in India to be free of corruption, to be like the ones we see in this video in those developed countries. Man proposes, god disposes, he never keeps anyone sincere in power, else he may run out of business! Given the freedom and democracy that Indian Republic has given me by birth, I just do not want to leave my country for any hefty pay that any job around the world that would offer me. Though the government run Indian public healthcare system is utterly corrupted, I could still find reasonable, affordable private health care here in India compared to those mentioned in the movie. However, after watching this film, it is tempting me to settle down somewhere in Canada, Britain or France just for the sake of health care in my dusky years of life. We were under British rule for over two centuries but still missed those healthcare reforms after the Second World War mentioned in the video. Here in India, every smart child at school, who later manages to get into the IIMs, IITs and the best medical science colleges, has a dream to settle down in the US once they’re finished with their studies. United States of America is a paradise on earth for them and life in the US a life in heaven for them. Hope they all learn a lesson after watching this movie.
The full video goes for 2:03:12 hours, but it’s worth your time. I strongly urge you to not miss this movie. Bookmark it, watch the full movie in your free time.
9 Comments on this post
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Anonymous said:
I believe Michael Moore is just another appendage of the extreme Left, and frankly I don’t trust him for that reason. They seem to want us to become a socialized nation under tyranny. I could say MUCH more about it, but I urge you to look at the countries who either have or have had nationalized (socialized) healthcare. If they have needed treatment, they often wait for months! Also, it’s not “free” as we are being led to believe. Our taxes will go out of this world soon, with the outrageous spending by the Obama administration. In every country where there is socialized medicine, it has led to health rationing. And—hey-what a great way to get rid of the “unwanted” and “useless” people. (think euthanasia and perhaps even forced abortions in certain cases.) Anyone who is deemed “nonproductive” in socialized nations can be given a pill to kill them instead of treatment! Any if you have a lump on your breast, you might get in to get checked in 6 months, if your’re lucky.
I’m sure you’re beginning to get the picture, and it’s very scary. The gov’t was not designed to be involved in decisions in our healthcare. (Please see the Constitution—it states that the sole purpose is protection from enemies) And our current system may have flaws, but it still covers everyone, in one way or another. I know people with no health insurance, and there are always “safety nets” in place to protect them. Please don’t be misled by Moore and company—theirs is simply a political agenda intended to slyly take more of our money and get less.
One source I would recommend is Relevant Radio, particularly the Drew Mariani show in the afternoon. (I can listen here in MN at 1330 AM. It’s online also). I also recommend The Jason Lewis Show on the radio. (100.3 KTLK here in MN. I believe his website is jasonlewis.com
There’s more to the story-don’t be misled!! Many here in the U.S. are extremely concerned about socialized healthcare. I thought you might appreciate a few more websites with info:
1. The Problems with Socialized Health Care.
2. The One Minute Case Against Socialized Healthcare.
3. Five Myths of Socialized Medicine.
Raj reply on July 24th, 2009 12:52 pm:
I think you should watch this video interview of Wendell Potter. Don’t miss it.
I couldn’t agree with you after watching that video especially after Wendell reveals what was done to neutralize the SiCKO effect.
June 10th, 2009 at 12:06 am -
Kim said:
Sicko is really a must see for anyone in the country. So many people are basing their opinions of other countries health systems from a friend of a friend of a friend rather than doing their own research. sicko is a great step to doing some research on the subject.
June 10th, 2009 at 7:05 pm -
giftchelraj said:
Hi Raj,
Though I live in a different part of the world, after seeing the film, I am led to believe that some parts of the film may be true regarding the rising costs of American healthcare. I remember an instance of physician’s dictation where the doc said the patient preferred to get MRI in an outside facility because the same would cost him 3000 dollars in that hospital. Compare this with the fact that it costs around 65 to 100 dollars in India!!
Thanks, overall a nice article.
Regards.
June 17th, 2009 at 6:03 am -
Abishai Demetrius said:
A real eye-opener. I am so in awe, this happens in America. Whatever happened to the American Dream ! Anyways leaves me to ponder on the citizens of India, where family health insurance & a socialized medical care is just a pie in the sky for millions !! Now that’s really really S-A-D ! Corrupt governments run by super-corrupt politicians, all they are after is our hard-earned bottom penny! They won’t hesitate to drain our lifeblood some day if we don’t pay them what they think is their due ! Nobody cares about anybody anymore !! Last days for ya ! not one bit sweet ! Sorry !
Raj reply on July 25th, 2009 6:50 am:
I think the problem in India is ignorance due to illiteracy and its consequences.
Countrywide run free vaccinations are excellent; however, it is up to the people to actively take part and utilize the so provided care. You can take a horse to water but you can’t make it drink, still the government tries to by making people aware; take the case of polio vaccination. The government wants to eradicate polio out of the country but still people skip the vaccinations due to ignorance!
One can approach the anti-corruption wing for getting the grievances addressed. The Right To Information Act 2005 enables a citizen to fetch information almost on any government document except defense secrets and almost no government personality is spared from the act. However, ignorance, lack of time and interest on the part of people to use the appropriate tool makes it easy for the tainted officials and politicians.
The government run hospitals are doing their best though they are over-occupied almost always, that’s where corruption creeps in hospital level socialized medical care. I think instead of blaming and cursing the system, people and voluntary organizations should think about making the current available facilities work fine with all the available resources.
July 25th, 2009 at 5:07 am -
Jen said:
I know I’m a bit late in seeing this article, as I’ve just recently found your site, but I felt I must put my 2 cents in.
I’ve worked in medical billing for almost 15 years and over those years I’ve seen a lot of people go without much needed medical care, even if they have insurance, due to their high co-pays or deductibles, or even out-right denial for services by the insurance companies. There’s been times when I’ve seen a company deny a service even if the patient has a letter of medical necessity from a physician. It still makes me bristle when I think that someone can get Viagra without a hitch, but can’t get a lifesaving gastric bypass procedure because it’s deemed “cosmetic” or certain chemotherapy drugs because they’re “experimental.” These companies don’t feel guilt or mercy. They are BUSINESSES and business is all about making money. When Nixon approved the HMO Act of 1973 to save the faltering HMO companies, he made us slaves to the system.
One of the biggest reasons I voted for Obama was his promise of healthcare reform. That idea has mutated into healthcare INSURANCE reform. In my opinion, there can be no such thing unless you fix the ENTIRE healthcare system. It’s like using a band-aid for an amputation wound. Now I’m just afraid that some awful bill will be passed just to say they did something, even if that bill ends up making things worse than ever for everyday people, but again great for those big companies and their stockholders.
I’m keeping faith in our President but I also know one man cannot move a mountain alone.
Raj reply on January 22nd, 2010 10:20 am:
I could read your innocent mind.
Yes there is nothing wrong in insurance business and war; everything done at war front and in insurance business is justified, even if it is killing human lives. And when the insurance industry has many players, then it is survival of the fittest!
Obama seems to be another fused bulb/rocket that missed the trajectory! One man army can do nothing but you need to have a mass movement and you need to wait until then!
January 22nd, 2010 at 4:32 am
Raj reply on June 10th, 2009 3:57 am:
That’s a wealth of information that you have provided me.
Ours, here in India, is a semi-socialized healthcare. One has a choice to go either to a government hospital if he has no money or a private hospital if he can afford to pay from his wallet. As said in my earlier post, bilateral hip replacement surgery in India costs $20,000 compared to $120,000 in Florida and a heart valve replacement around $10,000 where as in the US it would be around $200,000.
We have health insurance companies and health insurance policies too, and health insurance companies can’t just deny treatments as such. The approvals, denials and management of the disbursements of health insurance companies are taken care by third party administrators (TPAs) which are in no way connected to the health insurance companies and TPAs are appointed by Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) to look into these matters. Furthermore, IRDA acts according to the opinions from Insurance Advisory Committee. Hence the chances of malpractices by health insurance companies are far low.
Apart from these, there is the Employees State Insurance (ESI) and the hospitals run by ESI but as these too are government run, here too one can’t find the great efficacy of a private hospital. I could see the effects of nationalizing healthcare in the government run hospitals here but since we have a choice between private and public, and options to choose from free, paid and insurance, those having money can have the finest, worldclass treatment in a private hospital. So I think ours is the best system then.
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