Watched the film Sicko by Michael Moore...... (page 2)

fifi40

Yes he is Tony Benn, a Labour politican with left leanings..........now retired

bisous

Thanks fifi! it was bugging me and right on the tip of my tongue!! He was quite impressive.

I dont think anyone believes everything they see or hear.............but it is true if we have a medical emergency in Great britain we will get immediate treatment and follow up care at no cost.........if we need a routine operation eg hip replacement we can choose which hospital we have the operation in again at no cost.........and if we have a mild illness we visit our doctors and just pay £6.65 for any necessary medicine on prescription and if you are under 16 or over 65, pregnant or on benefits its free.

What is your experience of the same in the USA?

journey-on

journey-on ... i had to chuckle at your phrasing. Whether or not your realize it, it was somewhat derogatory. You might has well have said something to the effect, here let ME enlighten you mindless lemmings who obviously just gobble up whatever you're told.... a bit presumptous there!

Oops...it does sound like that. I didn't intend it to. Just putting out the other side. Lots of folks have criticized Moore's "movie" and thought a balanced view might be appropriate.

journey-on

Journey On
I dont think anyone believes everything they see or hear.............but it is true if we have a medical emergency in Great britain we will get immediate treatment and follow up care at no cost.........if we need a routine operation eg hip replacement we can choose which hospital we have the operation in again at no cost.........and if we have a mild illness we visit our doctors and just pay £6.65 for any necessary medicine on prescription and if you are under 16 or over 65, pregnant or on benefits its free.
What is your experience of the same in the USA?

Did you read the links I posted above, fifi? Personally, I have very good insurance coverage and the cost is not that astronomical. My doctor is excellent and we can choose from a huge list of top knotch doctors and facilities. If you choose a doctor not on the plan, for a few extra dollars, you are still covered. My co-pay is $25.00....not bad. The Major Medical is excellent. Last I heard, people were pulling their own teeth because the waiting time in GB was so atrocious! Guess you can't believe everything you read, uh? Now let me tell you about our city's poor and uninsured. They can go to one of several county hospitals and get treatment. They are charged on a scale based on what they can afford. Some can't afford anything! Of course, the waiting rooms are jam packed with undocumented immigrants and they have to wait long hours, but...hey....it's practically free. Tax dollars supply this little benefit. Regardless of what you have heard, people are not dying out on the streets of America....lol We have some of the finest doctors and hospitals in the world here. The system is not perfect by any means, and I'm all for some health care reforms, but I do not think socialized medicine is the way to go in America.

wha happened?

OK for those insured through their workplace, we have a decent opportunity at health care. My wife's employment is all about the benefits. I care little what she makes as long as we get health care benefits.

Now for the comment on how the poor get health care in this country, I thinks it's a joke. Have u ever been to a county hospital. It's third world. Once u get patched up enough and stable it's out u go.

Oh and let's talk about how up until very recently Insurance companies were dumping people when they made a claim because of a discrepancy on their application, despite collecting premiums for years.

Even with good coverage the deductibles can put anyone into the poorhouse in the case of a major illness.

Mary

.............watching Sicko made me appreciative of the system we have in place which is similar to the other countries mentioned. Thoughts anybody????

I'm grateful for the way it's set up here in Canada, although we're grossly underfunded---especially for the amount of taxes we pay. Still, I think it's preferable to the American system. I don't know of anyone up here who's ever had to declare bankruptcy or lose their house because of medical bills. There were indeed, some laughable moments in Sicko. When he interviews some people in the waiting room at a London, Ontario Urgent Care Clinic, the most he could find that people were waiting was 45 minutes. 45 minutes? Man, I want to know where THAT clinic is! Occassionally, you might luck out and only have to wait 45 minutes. A few months ago, I actually only had to wait about 10 mintues at the local clinic. Then again, another time I had to wait 4 freaking hours. Emergency rooms are even worse. Unless you're brought in by ambulance, you can wait 2 - 9 hours.

Let's face it: There's both good stories and horror stories told from both the American health system, and a government run system like the Canadian, English and French have. The American's horror stories seem to be more when they're denied proper health care either due to no health insurance, or simply because some bastard of an Adjuster wanted that bonus and denied their claims. In the 'free' system, like ours, it's the wait lists that we complain most about, not the care itself. I can't imagine going in for a scan that shows you have a brain tumour, and then be told that "well, we're not going to do anything about it because we don't think it's life-threatening'.

Between the two, I'd still rather have our system. Like I've said before, when you have a life threatening illness, the last thing you need to worry about is "how am I going to pay for this?"

Recently, there was a study done and France comes out at #1 for health care.

The USA came in last: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080108/lf_afp/ushealthfrancemortality_080108191353

fifi40

Journey On

Yes I did read them, the last one seems to be in favour at looking at different options to the USA's current system of health care, which I think was the purpose of MM's film really..........

I realise there is going to be criticism of a film like this which is made to be controversial which is why I wondered what the thoughts of others are on it.

Fi

jacethespace

Wouldnt speak too soon our governments are half way through privatising our nhs under so called " nhs reform".

Dismembered

No not Sicko, I watched Jackass 2 last night.

Dismembered

Watched the film Sicko by Michael Moore......

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