I saw this movie last night on DVD. During this film I laughed, I got pissed off at our health care system, at Congress, and at all the corporations who profit off our health care system. At various points I decided I was going to move to Canada, then the UK, then France, then Norway because all those countries treat their citizens better than we do. Most of all I was deeply and profoundly ashamed of our country and by all the people who refuse to stand up for universal single payer not for profit health insurance for all and who fall for the lies and smoke screens of the corporations who benefit from our current system.I urge every one of you to see this film and to tell others to see it. I urge you all to watch the extras on the DVD and to do something, anything, to get universal not for profit single payer health care for all of us in this country.
I was going to write about how I lost my health insurance right before I had my heart attack, and then how I got tossed off Tenn Care, which was the state of TN's version of Medicaid, and all about my hassles getting my SSDI benefits, but then it hit me as I was writing it, what happened to me was nothing compared to the people who've died as a result of the actions of the insurance companies and for profit hospitals, so I erased it. I'm still alive and some of those poor folks lost husbands, wives, children, and other loved ones.
It's a god damned shame that we allow corporations to dictate medical decisions. And it's an even bigger god damned shame that we don't rise up and do something about it. I'm going to go to Michael Moore's website later and I'm going to help out in whatever small way I can and if you do a small part too then all of us together can change this country for the better.
I'd like to ask my Canadian readers and UK readers to leave a comment about the health care systems in your countries. Do you think your health care systems suck like they Reich wingers in this country say they do? Or are they decent systems? Do you have any nightmare stories to tell? Or are the pundits on FOX and the corporate media lying when they say health care in your countries is a huge mess?
27 comments:
I can give a vicarious comment from two friends of mine. They had their first child in the UK (Edinborough) about three years ago and describe it as one of the best experiences of their lives. They had thorough care throughout the pregnancy, and they had lots of support and an array of options as to how they wanted the child to be born. They ended up choosing a water-birth using minimal pain medications and my friend got to actually deliver his son personally (with a doctor and nurse present of course). This is when, if they had been in the US, they could never have afforded health insurance, since they were underemployed and saddled with undergrad debts. They both got to stay in the hospital after the birth so that she could recover and so that they could bond with the baby while he was observed to make sure he was healthy.
Honestly, I've only heard about European/Canadian health horror stories from Americans who have never experienced either. When I tell European friends that I have to pay for health care and that I have undergraduate debts, they're aghast and confused. "Isn't the US really rich?" they ask. I answer that about 10% of it is really rich, and the rest of us get shafted one way or another...
I really want to see this movie too-now maybe over the Thanksgiving break! I agree with doug-there are so many pundits who talk about the evils of "socialized medicine" etc and they haven't even had anything to do with it. I think most are probably paid off to say such things and the rest of them are Fox News!
There are issues with every health care system, but at least in Canada you're not going to go broke if you get sick. They'll fix you up, give you drugs, let you stay in hospital until you're better. Children's hospitals are awesome with top notch health care. Grown-up hospitals are a little less so. There are long wait times for certain procedures and if you're really old, you tend to get bumped for younger people. Getting a GP is quite a challenge, too. Not enough doctors. But there are walk-in clinics if you have a problem. There are also more medical services springing up that you can pay for if you want something fast - usually for diagnostic procedures. Talk is that this is the beginning of a 2-tiered health system where the rich can pay for good, fast service and the rest of us stick with the regular free service. I don't see a problem with this, though others do. There are other problems mainly to do with lack of resources, but the big picture is we don't let people die; if you get sick, you'll get help. You have to be assertive in getting what you need - it's not a proactive system (except for kids). Socialized medicine isn't scary at all.
Oh man- we are so screwed. I am reminded of hearing Chris Hedges' talk a couple of weeks ago and his reminder that the worst terror threat this country faces is that of the Corporate State.
This is the real evil of our non-health care system.
Fran, you goddamn commie pinko bastard, how right you are. THERE is your terrorist state, the corporate one.
Good morning Monkey,
Thanks for this post. I wasn't going to see the film. I just felt like I know all of it and I can't afford to get more angry. But you have convinced me to see it.
Two things: I once temped at a huge health insurance company. I couldn't believe the ends to which they would go to deny a claim. I was also struck by the fact that the people on the "customer service" lines had a 45-minute rotation because they had to face so much pure ire from customers.
Also, I lived in France for three years. I paid high taxes on my salary, which gave me access to great (impeccable) health/dental care with a flat 20% payment on medications; wellness, art, music, theater, historic preservation, clean streets, amazing highways, and almost countless holidays.
Thanks for this post.
As long as the US is a country that grants citizenship to anyone who is born on American soil, there will be no Universal Government Healthcare.
If you really believe in Government Healthcare, then the US must change its citizenship laws. US citizenship requirements must match or approximate those of European countries that offer Government Healthcare.
Meanwhile, you can easily estimate the cost of Government Healthcare in the US. We already have two programs that serve approximately 100 million people -- one-third of the population.
Here's how it breaks down.
About 40 million people receive Medicare Benefits at a cost of about $300 Billion, or about $8,250 per person.
About 60 million people receive Medicaid Benefits at a cost of another $300 Billion, or about $5,000 per person.
There is wide agreement that Medicaid is inadequate. However, if we extended that program to ALL of today's 300 million residents of the US, the bill would total $1.5 Trillion.
However, people receiving Medicare would not accept a decline in service quality. Thus, we would develope a two-tier system. The Medicaid system for people under 65, and bolt that to the MediCare program for everyone over 65.
In other words, a program that today would serve 260 million at an annual cost of $5,000 per person or $1.3 Trillion and another 40 million people at a cost of $8,250 per person, or $330 Billion.
The total: $1.63 Trillion.
However, it is inconceivable that such an arrangement would emerge. Instead, citizens under age 65 would expect to receive the same quality of service as those over 65. Hence, the per-person bill for everyone in the country would rise to $8,250.
The grand total: $2.5 TRILLION.
However, with such generous benefits extended to every citizen born on US soil, pregnant women would dash across our borders to cash in on this bonanza.
Thus, the $2.50 TRILLION estimate is a wishful dream that would disappear overnight to be replaced by a far higher figure.
Meanwhile, current annual healthcare expenditures in the US total about $1.7 Trillion. Thus, a Medicare-quality plan for everyone demands an immediate 47% increase in healthcare spending.
How would the economy respond to a 47% increase in healthcare taxation?
A tax increase of that magnitude would encourage employers to relocate as many jobs as possible in other countries. In short, unemployment would rise, but probably not as fast as illegal immigration.
Therefore, if you want to go down this road, then many other changes must occur first.
I have no facts or figures to offer you, but there is nothing more fantastic that going to the emergency room, flashing your Canadian health card, seeing a doctor at no cost, and walking out with a prescription/stitches/whatever. The system has its flaws, without a doubt; waiting times are long, sometimes unreasonably so. Nevertheless, I'll defend the Canadian healthcare system till the end because it protects all members of society, not just the ones with money.
Slappz, you could leave the citizenship laws as they are, cut our war/defense spending, and pay for it all. Seems like a simple tradeoff to me--health and lives over empire and destruction.
Monkey--thanks for watching and reviewing the movie. Moore is such an awesome human being--I will definitely give this DVD a spin.
dguzman, you wrote:
"Slappz, you could leave the citizenship laws as they are, cut our war/defense spending, and pay for it all. Seems like a simple tradeoff to me--health and lives over empire and destruction."
It may seem simple to you, but your idealistic and rosy exchange bears no resemblence to the reality of offering FREE healthcare to every person on Earth who can slip over the US border.
We've already got a big problem with illegal aliens. You're idea would multiply it many many times by offering an irresistible lure to every citizen of a third-world country.
I'm all for guest-worker programs and other forms of social management that take a straight-forward and realistic look at immigration issues. But I am opposed to programs and ideas that will incontestably reward every border-jumper on Earth.
The cost of providing healthcare services to a population that rapidly swells due to illegal immigration would exceed our military expenditures rather quickly. In fact, by enticing illegal immigrants through health benefits, taxpayers would find themselves paying foreigners to invade the US. Instead of arriving with loaded weapons, they would arrive with bank-busting medical needs. Your idea would bankrupt the nation.
Wars end, healthcare problems and expenses only increase.
Single payer, not for profit is the only way we'll ever be able to adequately care for EVERYONE, not just the fortunate, and as an American, I want to see EVERY person in this country have access to decent healthcare and education. Great post, Dr. M. Still, you need to come clean over that little "incident". Spilled Banana Daiquiri? Very suspicious...
Doug-Thanks for you input. I'm glad your friends got to sample universal health care, maybe one day we will as well.
Micgar-You'll enjoy and learn a lot from this movie when you see it.
Urban-Nothing is perfect and there will never be 100 % satisfaction with any system but I think you hit the nail on the head, people in your fine country are not going broke if they get sick. Thanks for your input.
Fran-In the extras they have an interview with former Labour Party MP Tony Benn. He says that the new religion that prevents a lot of things is the religion of money. He is oh so correct in his analysis.
Randal-I've been preaching about the evils of corporatism for many years now.
Crayons-1)I know about how ins. companies try to deny claims, the disability ins comapny that I am covered under is constantly looking for ways to deny my claim even though I have been judged to be disabled by my cardiologist and by the Social Security administration. 2) Wow, you lived in France? We are all so jealous of that here in Monkey Central!
No_slappz-I see you not only drank the Kool Aid on this immigration issue that really isn't, you also drank it on the health care issue. Tell me something, how long have you been on board with the Ron Paul campiagn? And what time is your next KKK meeting and will you be going or will you stay at home watching FOX? You are part of the problem for millions of Americans, you fell hook line and sinker for the nonsense that health care for all is too expensive and therefore we should just let the corporations continue to rape us over it. Then when people like me and my friend DGuzman say we want health care for all, including a whiny right wing shill like you, you say we are too idealistic and that "illegal aliens" are ruining this country. Well buddy, and I use that term ironically because a closeminded person like you would never ever be a buddy of mine, you are the one who is dead wrong on this issue, just like the rest of your Reich wing pals.
For one thing there is no such thing as an illegal alien. No person is illegal. And furthermore, if we in the USA and western Europe did not plunder the third world countries for their assets and natural resources their people would not be flocking here for work. I say we open the borders for all and that this smoke screen wedge issue of immigration reform is nonsense. It's a non issue and the election a few days ago in Virginia proved that it will be a non issue in the Presidential race.
Many years ago, if you bother to read the history of something other than FOX news, they said the Chinese were going to ruin this country, before that it was the eastern Europeans, before that it was the Italians, and before that it was the Irish. Those people only made this country a better place, just like the Americans from other American countries will.
Oh, one last thing, I see you have a blog so please next time, if you want to pontificate about the issues on which you are dead wrong, then do it on your blog and not in my comments section. I know, I know, more people read my comments section than read your blog but hey, that's the way it is, people just like reading smart witty people like me more than reading bigoted backwards people like you.
Jane-I wasn't looking for facts and figures. I was looking for exactly what you gave me, an honest unbiased assesment of your health care system. Thanks for your input.
CDP-I agree with you dear, it's the only fair system. It's time we joined the rest of the world and made the bloodsucking corporations pay for a health care system for all of us, not just Congress and their CEOs.
It's on my list. Now go out and rent the Walmart doc — and swear to stay out, as I have.
Beth-I've been with you on the boycott of Wal-Mart for years now. I have not shopped there for at least 3 years now. Wal_mart is the company store for the Republican Party.
Oh I agree, everyone should see this. I mean, this movie only covers the INSURED people in the US! The uninsured is a whole 'nother ball of wax.
As my husband and I left the film, I turned to him and said, "So, shall we move to Norway or France?".
You know, speaking of my husband, he was uninsured until he married me. Getting him access to my health insurance was a big reason to seek civil marriage rather than wait until everyone could be married legally.
MN has historically been a very liberal state in terms of public services(lots of Scandinavians!). In the 1990's they started a state funded sliding fee insurance program called MNCare. People paid premiums monthly based on income, so it was available to the self employed as well as other people who do not quite fit into the medicaid box. To prevent abuse, it was a heavily monitored program and I worked at the state doing this. Well, the right wing has grew more powerful here and our research (which was showing the success of the program) was stopped and MNCare funding was sliced down to nothing. It is really a huge shame.
Our health care system in Canada is not perfect, but it works. Yes, we have long waiting lists for elective surgery and there are often problems with emergency waiting times, and finding a family physician, but knowing that you are guaranteed proper health care and that a serious illness will not break you is the basis of a decent society, I think.
We're happy to have you if you are still tempted to move up here.
Just remember: we already do have socialized medicine-for politicans! For us the unwashed masses, not so much.
Bootm line -- Access to health care is a basic human right. Countries that deny their citizens that right should be brought to account
I notice that the most negative thing anyone's said so far about universal health care is that there are occasional long waits; since we already have that in America, why not bring the rest, too? Universal health care seems to not break the bank of other, more progressive countries. I don't see a tidal wave of pesky Meskins invading the borders of Canada, but maybe the shills are right and I'm merely being idealistic.
Dr. Monkey, you had a post a month or three back about how corporations should wise up and support universal health care because of the money it would save them on employee insurance. I think that's forward thinking; the money is out there, it's just being spent on something else or stolen. Granted, there's a larger problem with the economy that desperately needs to be fixed, but smart people generally know it's not immigrants. I know this to be true because I'm a white male between 18 and 40, and to hear some people tell it, I should have everything handed to me. Since it's a struggle for me to get any kind of benefits, who do I see about that? Do I blame other poor people? Give me a break.
Great post, great comments. I'll come visit you in Canada if you come visit me in France.
The only negative that I can see, since I am a conspiracy theorist, is that if government is providing the health care, they will have say in what health care we receive, or say we need ID chips imbedded under our skin, or other scary things.
Or we will buy our medicines no-bid from the new pharmaceutical arm of Halliburton.
Last Thursday the father of one of my former students had a massive heart attack and died, leaving behind his wife and 4 children between the ages of 3 and 11. I went to the visitation last night, and it was so sad. This man was probably no more than 38. They came here last year from Mexico, and they have lived on the edge. He worked 2 jobs, his wife worked a job also. The day he died, he was at parent teacher conferences, expressing how important it was for his children to do well in school and get out of poverty.
I do not think it is out of line to say that this man died because of lack of health care. Of course they were uninsured. If this man had hereditary heart disease, no one could know, and he wouldn't receive care anyway.
And his case is not isolated. At my school (70% free and reduced hot lunch, the standard index for poverty) we have several deaths of parents each year. EACH YEAR.
What is simplistic about ending war and taking care of the poor? It is nothing more nor less than the gospel that Jesus preached. Read the New Testament and that is essentially ALL that Jesus preached. Don't kill and give what you have to the poor. There were no caveats or qualifiers.
I have not been in a WalMart in at least 8 years. And I aim to keep it that way.
Wow! Talk about slappz! You really gave noslappz a "slapdown" I too checked out his blog and after seeing that he considers Rush Limbaugh "people of intellectual importance", I say yes!! That was a great slapdown, Dr Monkey!
Yeah, what a slapdown; I just wish you'd quit holding back and tell people how you really feel. :)
You're right-on though, brother; if we can't afford health care for all our fellow man, then why did we ever bother ascending from the caves way back when?
übermilf: I believe you're right not to trust our government, however, I think the bigger conspiracy is that of for-profit health care. That Halliburton point you made is a good one, though.
For those who worry about the cost (and I know most readers of this blog, with one exception, are too intelligent to fall in to that category), the amount currently being spent on health insurance is so vast. When and if universal health care comes to pass, all the money currently going to insurance companies will then be available to pay for it. I forget the actual figures, but Medicare and Medicaid are much, much more efficient in their cost/care ratios than any corporate, for-profit operation. Those who claim it would be more expensive for the government to administer it are just plain wrong.
If any of us (or our children, siblings, etc.) were traveling in Canada or most European countries and became ill or were injured, we would be cared for at little or no cost to us.
Thanks to all of you who commented on this post, yes even the right wing idiot, because even though he changed no minds it's always good to know what the stooges of corporations think. It's clear to me that as usual the Repbulicans and the corporations are on the wron gisde of this issue and thatone day we will have universal health care int his country just like our Congressmen do. We just have to keep fighting for it.
I echo everything Urban Pedestrian, Jane Jr and Barbara mentioned, I love having my basic human rights available to me as needed. Dear Canada, I love you. Dale
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