SiCKO
We saw it last night - SiCKO. And I have to admit - I walked out feeling a bit tangled.
Michael Moore gets people talking. You don't have to like him and you can call him "un-American." You can hate his films. You can love his films. The fact of the matter is that his films start discussions, and these discussions are necessary.
That disclaimer tossed out there, the film generated a big "sigh" from me. The first half of it, showing images of people working three jobs to cover their healthcare expenses, negotiating "which finger to reattach" after an accidental amputation based on what a patient can afford, and the stress of making sense of insurance denials. This portion resonated for me on several levels. The battles faced not by someone without health insurance but by the Americans who have it.
I thought about my own insurance battles. Like the hoops I had to jump through to have my insulin pump covered as a "medical necessity." Or when insurance companies told me that "four test strips a day is enough for a type 1 diabetic," not taking into account any hypoglycemic unawareness, jaunts to the gym, or the need to know if I'm steady before going to bed. I thought about the pump infusion sets I've used for more than their prescribed length because I couldn't afford the copays for an extra box of sets. The phone calls to insurance representatives that include phrases like, "Um, I need it to live," and "I can't believe you're telling me, a diabetic, that testing my blood sugar isn't necessary."
Michael Moore makes several talking points that Chris and I talked about for the rest of the night. Moments in the film where Moore illustrates how keeping a society blanketed in debt makes them more dedicated (desperate?) members of the workforce. This was disturbing to me, as I thought about people I knew who worked 70 hour work weeks at incredibly trying jobs, just so that they can have medical insurance.
The part of this film that I didn't like was Moore's blinders-on view of universal health care. No system is perfect. He made it seem as though after the film finished, I needed to grab my passport and go ex-Pat, heading off to France or Britain or even hopping the border to Canada. I do think that countries practicing preventative care vs. acute care are far smarter than the reactive United States, but I don't want to pack my bags and trot off to France. I would rather help change to happen within our own borders and take measures to fix a problem instead of abandoning it. Aren't we a force to be reckoned with, the blogosphere? Aren't we some of the voices that Big Pharma thinks about nervously, right before they fall asleep at night?
(Whoa, Kerri. A bit idealistic today. Don't you want to go to France? They have unlimited sick days. And government employees who do your laundry. Stop humming "The Greatest Love of All ...")
I'm fine with doing my own laundry. I'm fine with working hard and earning my medical insurance. But I'm not fine with being told that my medicine isn't "covered" or "necessary" or that insurance companies would rather pay for my dialysis vs. my insulin pump. Preventative care is what protects people with diabetes, keeping our potential diabetes-related complications quiet longer. Being plucked for every cent we earn, or worse denied, for that preventative care is cruel.
Go see this movie. See what gnaws at you.
Comments
Amen, Kerri! Incredibly well put.
Posted by: Manny Hernandez | July 3, 2007 10:20 AM
I need to see this before I can make any real comment... BUT. I love the point you make about Moore's films. Even if you hate the guy and his work - he certainly gets peopel thinking and talking. And you're also right about no system being perfect. Kind of like humans. Ah - that's right humans run this joint - maybe that's why it's not perfect?
Posted by: Nicole p | July 3, 2007 10:31 AM
I need to see this film, as well.
Though I must admit, I'm a bit afraid to-- afraid it's gonna stir up so many of the fears I already have about Joseph's future.
But as you say, it gets you thinking and talking-- and better still, taking action.
Posted by: Sandra Miller | July 3, 2007 11:37 AM
Kerri, you are absolutely correct! NO system is perfect! However, the bottom line is, when dealing with providing healthcare for the masses, the number of lives that can be improved and/or saved. The most practical & efficient manner to provide this type of care for so many people relies on preventive medicene being the core of healthcare. I went to see Sicko with my firefighter husband and nurse mother-in-law and we thought that it was a very interesting movie. My family has experienced the perils of fighting insurance companies for medical procedures and supplies for which there was absolutely NO logical explanation for denial. My mother is only alive & well today because we refused to accept the doctors' "determination" that there was "no hope" of her ever coming out of her 3 week coma, mainly because her insurance did not cover certain tests to determine exactly what was going on with her. Ultimately, it left me asking the question "Exactly WHO is our healthcare system established for & exactly WHO benefits from our healthcare system?" Something to think about...Perhaps America needs to step off of it's high horse & take a few lessons from other countries to improve the system...It shouldn't be this hard, people.
Posted by: J T | July 3, 2007 11:40 AM
Michael Moore's movies are provocative no matter whether people agree with his message or not. I happen to be someone who loves his movies, but of course I take everything I read or watch, with a grain of salt.
Anyway, I think as much as preventative care is a logical concept for insurance companies to support, it unfortunately is seen as too radical to embrace by insurance companies. It'll take a revolution for companies to see where the bottom dollar really is.
It takes the consumer to call them directly and demand coverage for particular items that they would write off automatically. They'll try to get away with not paying for as much as possible until their client calls and demands that they do pay for what they claim.
Posted by: Shannon | July 3, 2007 12:21 PM
Kerri,
I agree with you that Moore's films get people talking and that is a very good thing. I will be waiting until Netflix has it before I watch it. His films usually are so one sided that I can barely stand it and I lean to the far left. I just like a well thought out argument that looks at all sides of the issue.
Posted by: Dave | July 3, 2007 12:59 PM
The movie annoyed me. You do realize that most people in the aforementioned countries cannot get insulin pumps usually because they simply aren't funded at all, right? So so much for that battle.
As for the guy with the kidney cancer who desperately needed the bone marrow transplant? Yeah, bone marrow transplants aren't used to treat kidney cancer, which is probably why he couldn't get it. Ironically, the US would have been his only shot at getting it, through a trial.
The girl with Kaiser? First off , Kaiser is non-profit, so so much for the profit thing being a huge issue, secondly, the hospital should have treated her, since law in the US say you need to treat anyone who shows up in your ER regardless of their ability to pay, thirdly, why didn't they go to a Kaiser hospital in the first place?
As for infant mortality rates being highest in the US- that's because we count preemies where other countries don't- they consider them pretty much dead when they are born. Sad, but true.
There is no doubt in my mind that the US health care system is very, very broken, and I agree that Moore brings awareness to the problems, which is good. However, Moore paints a very, very flat one dimensional picture. If Moore wants to call himself a journalist, he really needs to improve the quality of his work.
Posted by: Christine | July 3, 2007 04:15 PM
Haven't seen Sicko yet, but I've heard stories about the universal healthcare systems in other countries, and they are certainly far from perfect. It's also quite difficult for diabetics to get pumps in Britain, for example, because an early evaluation of insulin pumps (before the technology had improved) led to a government policy that disfavored pumps, seeing them as not very cost-effective.
Also, there was an interesting article a while back in the New York Times about how in Norway in particular (and in Scandinavia in general by extension) the people live much more frugally than we tend to believe, mostly due to their HUGE income taxes on the socialist system. So the implication is that you're probably better off in Norway if you're poor because you're guaranteed healthcare, etc., but you're probably better off in the U.S. if you're middle class (or at least you'll actually be paying less for your healthcare).
Posted by: Jana | July 3, 2007 05:35 PM
I haven't seen the film. I don't usually like these kinds of flicks. I'm more of a comedy film person myself.
Please don't hate me. But I work for one of those health insurance companies. The reason I started working there right out of high school was because it offered health insurance that I desperately needed & it still does. Not everything is perfect, I know. I've had my own share of disagreements over my coverage. So I know it can be a hassle at times. But if I understand correctly, the film stresses that we should have government-run health care. Is that correct? If that's the case, then we're better off fending for ourselves, don't you think? My grandparents relied on Medicare & Medicaid when they fell ill & it was a nightmare! Before they died, they had to sell their house & basically everything they owned before they could get any help. I don't want to go through that my family to have to go through something like that, too.
And please understand, if we were to go to government-run healthcare, that's going to put a lot of people out of work. Health insurance companies employ lots of people - most of which don't make the decisions on whether a person's claim gets paid or not. So please don't hate us. We're just trying to make a living like everyone else.
Just my opinion...
On a happier note - Happy 4th of July everyone! Enjoy!
Posted by: Donna | July 3, 2007 06:24 PM
Haven't seen the movie. But as a Mom who is currently fighting the insurance company for meter strip coverage, I know first hand the frustration of dealing with insurance companies.
They are willing to pay for 204 strips per month.(you read that right, not sure where those extra four are from.) Max. I have to get prior authorization for anymore. Easily said, not easily done.
In the meantime, we're checking 10-12 times daily. Covering the extra costs out of pocket.
Insurers are the Scrooges of the real world. To quote Claire "they suck".
Posted by: Kim | July 3, 2007 11:36 PM