SiCKO Sneak Preview
On Saturday night, Lady and I went to see SiCKO, the latest film by Michael Moore at the Ritz East. Lady's already put her up her thoughts on the film here. We loved it. And to make the experience extra cool, we filled out questionnaires from the studios because we were part of the first general screening audience to view the film; and according to Moore's website, every single sneak preview was sold out.
SiCKO is different from Moore's other films. There's less of his jowly face in it. There's a Rutgers hat on his head for lots of the film (in addition to his Michigan State Spartans hat of course). There is less (limited to about 15 minutes of the 2h 3m of the film) sensationalism in this film. This film is not partisan to either major political party.
This film is heartbreakingly sad to watch. If you've experienced life without healthcare coverage, it will be particularly touching. If you've experienced life without adequate coverage, it will be particularly touching. If you have the ability to relate to another human being's problems, this film will make you cry. I was tearing throughout the entire visit by the Americans to Cuba.
The film takes you from Colorado to Philadelphia to California to Missouri to Michigan to Canada to France to England to Cuba.
This film is perfect in that it is completely accessible to the average person. It dispels myths of the horrors of a state run medical system. Sure, they have their problems, but so does ours. Approximately 250,000,000 Americans have coverage and approximately 50,000,000 do not. This film is about the quarter billion who do and the service they receive, or do not receive. Canada, France, England and Cuba are all smaller countries with tens of millions if not hundreds of millions fewer people. But also with billions less in monetary power to provide for their people yet America lags far behind in the basic service of making sure its people are healthy and practicing preventative care.
I think of myself as a pretty well informed person. Not so much when it comes to the issue of healthcare, but I know what's going on in our system even though I avoid doctors of all sorts like the plague itself. But seeing the things that are free in crazy socialized healthcare countries like Canada, France, England and Cuba, it was just astonishing. People would laugh at Moore when asked questions like how much it costs to have a baby in a hospital [answer: $0 in England] or the price of 30 pills opposed to a prescription of 120 [answer: the same under England's NHS].
Learning when England decided to change their healthcare system to a universally covered system was astonishing. It was 1948, just after World War II as most of England was rubble and bankrupt, they decided that no person should go without coverage. Good show.
I've been very fortunate in my life. My mother was a (and still is) city (NYC) employed pharmacist when I was growing up. We had coverage. I was a pretty healthy kid. I didn't have any allergies. The only surgery I ever had was a cyst removed from the roof of my mouth. The only emergency room visits I can recall was one particularly bad bout of the flu and a sprained knee in high school while playing soccer. My teeth were (still are!) slightly crooked, but not so bad as to need braces. My eyes are probably my biggest directly health-related expense as I have glasses and contacts. When I've had coverage (currently do), I haven't needed to go to the doctor. When I didn't have coverage (several years), I didn't need to go to the doctor. I fear a traumatic incident putting me in the hospital with crazy bills to pay and my carrier dropping my ass like a bad habit. Hopefully that day will never come.
The film wasn't all tears though. It was quite funny. His funniest yet for me. You can't have a wide release like this without something to lighten the mood a little here and there. The film was a good length. I could've stayed there for another two hours, but I'm sure most can't. I think he's really gotten the hang of it now and his films will be more and more piercing as he continues to make films which I hope he does. But in the meantime, there is SiCKO and it is a must see. If for some reason you can't make it to the theater – say you're bed ridden because your carrier dropped your ass like a bad habit forcing you to work three jobs to pay off your hospital bills or simply having a child without someone to watch him/her for a few hours to see the film, pirated versions are available online (yes a solid week before the full release of the film on June 29th). After watching it; go buy the DVD in a few months, I'm sure it'll have all kinds of goodies on it and you'll know some money will be going back to the people who put up the money for this film to be made. Moore has said in the past that he'd rather his films be seen via pirated versions than not at all; but it is the studio which owns the full rights to the film.
Explore posts in the same categories: Activism, Events, Film, Lady, Medicine / Health, Politics
June 25th, 2007 @ 9:20 am
Before you saw Sicko, you should have armed yourself with some reality. If you don;t bother to read a word at http://www.freemarketcure.com/ be sure to watch their short flic, Uninsured In America.
Before you fall for the great socalist medical care myth, remember this:
In the fall of 2000, the Canadian Association of Radiologists released a report suggesting that 63% of X-ray equipment is out of date, as is a majority of all diagnostic machinery in Canada. [6]
In a five-country survey of health care, the Harvard School of Public Health asked specialists if the quality of care had declined in their country. 63% of Canadian specialists responded in the affirmative, the highest percentage of all nations surveyed. [7]
In a major international study, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada finds that Canadian heart attack survivors have a dramatically lower quality of life than their U.S. counterparts. [8]
If you're a Brit, you may not even qualify for the treatment you need: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6742149.stm
Single payer (synonyms: government, socalized) medicine is no better anywhere in the world.
June 25th, 2007 @ 9:45 am
I'm glad you went to see it. And I'm glad to see that your review is already being read by anti-Moore PR hacks…I think I'll go see it twice just to aggravate those folks.
I work in a business where I have some influence on clients who provide healthcare. And I have been very vocal about getting people covered sooner in the employment cycle (as in immediately versus 90 days). I am really looking forward to Sicko…in a sicko way. It's a sad subject, but one we have to get under control.
Excellent work on this.
June 25th, 2007 @ 10:39 am
Nice review Albert. I'll be seeing this movie for sure. Most likely in my local two screen theater. :)
June 29th, 2007 @ 6:57 pm
[...] Philly [...]
June 29th, 2007 @ 8:42 pm
Fromz – so 63% of equipment is out of date – better that than 20% of the population not allowed the benefit of it.
So the English system restricts acess to expensive drugs – don't insuance systems do exactly the same?
There is no *perfect* health system, anywhere, but I'd rather have one where is didn't matter who I am, what I earn, I still get the same treatment as the man next to me.
Hell, in the UK even foreigners don't get turned away… or asked to pay up front.
June 29th, 2007 @ 9:38 pm
Insider: Then move to the UK if you are so obsessed with everyone receiving the same (low) quality of things. Some of us object to your apparent desire to drag everyone down to the same level of mediocrity.
June 30th, 2007 @ 5:31 am
Congratulations Philly on learning about our NHS. I became a doctor in 1948 before the NHS started (and was of course a kid in the old system before) so I know what happened that wonderful day of July 5th 1948. I was a locum GP at the time and had the great joy of telling a worried mother that she no longer had to worry about paying me (and I'll tell you, I simply hated taking money from sick people because I was trying to get them better). And let me tell you too, that you have many first class doctors and professors in your country who believe you should have a system like ours. Not exactly like ours, of course. We have made mistakes and you can learn from them. But I, and the whole British people wouldn't have it any other way now. No government, noi political party dare be against the NHS in this country – it would lead to political ruin. The NHS is far from perfect. There is an enormous amount we still need to do. But the British people would fight for it like tigers if they felt it was really threatened. If you want it, you've got to fight (politically) for it – you'll be surprised to find how many good doctors are on your side. Good luck – you'll be doing a fantastic service not only to yourselves but also to generations to come – oh, and epecially to those that need it most.
June 30th, 2007 @ 4:26 pm
I am Brit who has lived in France for over 7 years now. Health care is not necessarily free in France. A percentage is paid by the government Normally, a top up must be paid. However in many cases this paid by your employer. I could go on……….. But I would say that that health care in France is the best I have evr experienced.
I have ex colleagues, friends and relations in the U.S, and the wider world, so I can make comparisons.
June 30th, 2007 @ 8:00 pm
Just to clarify, I didn't intend to imply that healthcare is free in France. You pay what you can. If you have no job, you don't pay anything; if you're rich, you pay more – at least that's what I got from the film.
July 1st, 2007 @ 8:39 am
More British NHS fact-lets.
No one has yet mentioned the cost, in direct and indirect taxation, to the working folk of the UK.
Currently, the National Insurance tax is running at 22% of one's gross salary and is split 50-50 between you and your employer. If you earn, say, US$50,000 a year (average for London) then that's $6,500 being taken from your pocket for 'welfare' (pensions, medical & unemployment) as well as another $6500 from your employer.
And this is on top of the 30% 'general' taxation of your earnings!
Value for money – I think not.
July 1st, 2007 @ 12:31 pm
Eddie Willers:
Where do you get the 30% general taxation figure from? The maximum rate of UK income tax for someone earning $50k is 22%. You also need to bear in mind that, for a $10,400 is tax free, and the next $4400 is taxed at 10%. So you need to get your 'fact-lets' straight.
Oh, and your maths. 11% of $50,000 is $5500, not $6500.
July 3rd, 2007 @ 11:09 am
I'll say our NHS is value for money. You pay at least twice as much per head for health care (on average) in the US, yet 40 m of you have NO insurance cover at all and roughly the same number have 'Swiss Cheese' (full of holes) policies. We don't have as many operations per head as you and our women are only half as likely to have had their uterus removed, but our national health statistics are in most (not absolutely all, I agree) respects at least as good as yours and in some, better. Value for money? Ho hum chum, come off it. The only way you'll get an NHS (if you really, really want one) is to fight (politically) for it. Sadly most doctors are infected by the greenback bug – but by no means all – and they fear income cuts. And of course, your health industry hands out quite a handsome dividend to investors. Health care costs, and we pay fo ourselves and each other in UK out of both direct and indirect taxation – and I don't resent a single penny of mine going into our NHS. Up to you how you run your affairs – keep your blessed system if you want. And good luck if you fall sick.
July 3rd, 2007 @ 11:11 am
http://www.keepournhspublic.com/index.php
for those of you who are interested
July 10th, 2007 @ 11:33 am
[...] Philly [...]
August 10th, 2007 @ 2:14 am
[...] Philly [...]
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