Thank you for devoting some of your blog to this important issue of health care. Please allow me to comment against Mr. Moore's work. I believe the market failures Sicko addresses are not due to a failed government but to an epidemic of unhealthy lifestyles that cannot be supported economically. Preventable illness comprises 80% of the burden of illness and 90% of all healthcare costs. Preventable illnesses account for eight of the nine leading categories of death. No medicine, surgery or treatment can reverse the damage caused by a lifetime of smoking, poor eating and lack of exercise. By simply increasing treatment that buys time, ignores the inevitable need to align patient's economic incentives toward healthy living. This is the innovation needed in the economic system of health care, not just more health care.
El Bicho
· 2 years ago
I am not saying you are wrong, but do you have links to support your statistics?
While preventable illnesses and the genetic luck of the draw are factors, a healthcare system that promoted prevention over treatment and removed the profit margin might very well be models to look at. Would you buy a car from the 37th best automaker in the world?
Fromz
· 2 years ago
Sicko is another Michael Mooron propaganda story.
Spend a few minutes at freemarketculture and start getting the real story.
Paul
· 2 years ago
I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to see this film because it's a real eye opener. We generally make false assumtions about other countries and their ability to care for their own people. I think it's part of our conditioning in the United States to declare that all other countries are less advanced than we are. No way countries like Canada, England, France or Cuba could offer the kind of care we have here. Is that right???... In the film, you will see modern medical facilities and medical equipment that is comparable to what we have here. You'll also notice that greed for financial gains is not a determining factor for the amount of care that is received. Another example was given to show a doctor making a list of house calls. How often does that take place here? It amazes me that there still are places on this Earth where people actually care for their sick and have not lost their humanity in favor of profits. I've heard some horror stories where people have died in the parking lots of major hospitals because they had no insurance coverage. My own parents have HMO but they have been refused medical care for pre-existing conditions. Many times they have to call ahead to find out which specific location they are allowed to go to receive care. This insurance dictates which doctors they are allowed to see. Michael Moore did an excellent job in this film to bring attention to these issues. Perhaps, we can learn a few things from our foreign neighbors because they have so much to teach us. I'm going to see this film again and bring several people with me when I go.
All Comments
While preventable illnesses and the genetic luck of the draw are factors, a healthcare system that promoted prevention over treatment and removed the profit margin might very well be models to look at. Would you buy a car from the 37th best automaker in the world?
Spend a few minutes at freemarketculture and start getting the real story.