Anyone watched the film 'Sicko'?

katiekitten

I watched this film last night, and it made me really really grateful that we have free health care in the UK. I know we complain about the state of the NHS, but the bottom line is if there is ever anything wrong with me my first thought will not be 'does my insurance cover this' or 'can I afford this'.

There was one part of the film where Michael Moore takes some people to Cuba to get free health care and one woman picks up inhalers for 5 cents a piece, that are costing her $120 in the US. She just breaks down and crys at the disparity of the cost.

It was also telling to see the insurance companies employ people specifically to try and find ways to deny claims or to void policies where a claim has been made. How wicked.

I will never moan about the NHS again. Im off for a free appointment with my midwife tomorrow, and will soon be going to a free hospital to have a free baby. I can choose which free hospital I go to (there are 3 local ones in my area), and I can choose which free drugs and procedures I want during labour. I think I will just have free gas and air like I did last time. Oh, and if I have forgotton to pack nappies I will get some for free along with the free meals I get while I am in. When I get home I will have several free home visits from my midwife to make sure I am settling in with baby and to help me with any problems I might be having. Thats not free - It will probably cost me a cup of tea and a biscuit each time she comes. Im so lucky.

Edited to add - AND IM SO GRATEFUL!

Pubsinger

No.

But I was just looking to see if I'd missed a "baby" thread and when I went back to active topics - there you were!!

carla

All your 'free' services are really free? Your taxes do not pay for these 'free services'? As for Moore's movie, there are some people in life who do not deserve my money. He is probably the last person on earth that should ever talk about anything related to health. Some in the US feel very strongly about freedom, some do not believe in socialism at any level. Our health care does need repair but going to a socialist way of life is not necessarily the answer.

The fastest way to fix the health care problem in the US would be to take away the extreme benefits our politicians have, our health care problems would be fixed practically overnight! Odd, we have Canadians & Mexicans coming over the border for health care, people from all over the world come for our first class surgeons yet some of our own people go to some of the Asian countries in order to be able to afford it.

Gilberto

have a free baby.

LMAO

Now, Katiekitten you know thats not true.

By the way, Congratulations.

Anti-Christ

Odd, we have Canadians & Mexicans coming over the border for health care, people from all over the world come for our first class surgeons yet some of our own people go to some of the Asian countries in order to be able to afford it.

I don't know about the Mexicans or the Asians but for the Canadians who go to the U.S. it's for different reasons, either there is a waiting list and the persons needs a surgery real fast or we have a lack of surgeon, and most of the time our government pays for the procedure. I know our health care is not perfect but every body gets it for "free". There is not a system that will deny somebody a treatment.

justhuman

great film

katiekitten

Yes of course I know its paid for by taxes. Im happy to pay taxes so that poor people, children and retired people can get free prescriptions.

One day I might be poor, or I might get an illness that means I cant work anymore, or I might have a road traffic accident that means I have to quit work, or I might have a severely disabled baby that means I cant work anymore, or I might get assaulted and not be able to work anymore, or I might end up in an tragic accident, or a terrorist attack that means I cant work anymore. There are a thousand ways that honest hardworking citizens might not be able to afford medical insurance, and another thousand ways that the insurance companies will find a way of not paying even if you do have insurance.

I think Tony Benn made an excellent point that you pay according to your ability and you claim according to your need. And as much as I may like to make distinctions between who I think is deserving, I think it is also true that a society can be judged by how it treats its poorest members.

And when one of the richest countries in the world watches a baby girl asphyxiate because the insurance company refuses to pay for the treatment, and the mother is removed from the hospital as she begs for doctors to treat the child, to my mind that is corporate murder.

brinjen

Yes I did, great film. Oz has a 'social' medical system as well, not as good as it used to be but still a pretty good system. Yes, we pay taxes to fund it, just as people with private health insurance pays fees even if they don't use it. The only difference is, if you need medical treatment, you get it regardless of your income, how much you contribute etc. And yes, we also get to choose our own doctor, hospital etc here also.

avidbiblereader

Yes I watched it and I am a victim of high cost of insurance as my wife and I just dropped our policies because they went up in three years from $230-$469/month with a $5000 deductable that we never used in the three years.

Just another sham and watching it all come unravelled.

abr

Liberty

Socialism, Communism, or any form of communalism is never free because it will always cost you your freedom. When you are dependant on others for all of your needs you are controlled by these others who control your needs. The rejection of government imposed communalism is not about greed or selfishness it is about freedom and free people are happy and more productive people, hence free (noncommunalistic) cultures have always out done communalistic cultures due to increased productivity and creative invention/innovation.

Most of the problems in the U.S.A.'s health care systems are caused by socialist government intrusion into the health care business. The disasterous employer-based insurance system was primarily the fault of goverment imposed wage controls which led to health insurance being offered as a hiring incentive to get around wage controls. If Americans had continued to shop for and buy their own health insurance competition would have helped to keep prices down.

Also the insurance covered population is forced to pay all the extra costs incured because of the government imposed requirment that private hospitals must provide "free" care for anyone who stumbles into the emergency room for treatment. Most of these cases could easily be handled by private charity if the government had kept their noses out of it. These outrageous costs are passed on to the insurance companies who pass them along in higher premiums. I haven't even mentioned our ridiculous medicare/medicaid systems which provide subsidized health care for wealthy retirees who could easily afford to pay for their own health care.

Our draconian drug laws, corrupted court system, and the extreme regulation of the pharmacuitical industry is also responsible for our high costs. Drug users should take at least some responsibility for the risk that may be incurred when using drugs and assesing if those risks outweigh the benifits. For example, many diabetics could easily stop using drugs if they controlled their diets. If people were free to sell their own organs our organ transplant shortage problem would diminish.

In short, communalism and nanny states have never provided any thing free to anyone and they never will. Slavery and false charity are the hallmarks of such systems and these lead to stagnation and poverty for all.

Anyone watched the film 'Sicko'?

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