Sicko
We went to see Michael Moore’s Sicko. It’s an accessible look at the dysfunctional American health care system. The film points out problems with the system in real human terms. Despite spending more per capita on health care then any other nation, health care in the U.S. doesn’t compete with outcomes achieved in other industrialized nations. This shows up in how long the average American lives, the numbers of infants and children who die, and even how tall Americans are.
Why do Americans put up with it? Maybe we’re suckers. Maybe we’ve been led to believe that having the government provide decent health care to everyone somehow threatens the American way of life. Maybe we’ve fallen for a market-driven fantasy that would have us believe that one glorious day, everyone will be really rich and able to get the same nip and tuck jobs reserved for Paris Hilton. The price for preserving our hopes? The uninsured line America’s overcrowded emergency rooms. Meanwhile those in the insured middle class can be just an illness away from bankruptcy and destitution.
If you’re lucky enough to still have medical insurance, you probably have had first hand experience with the red tape that keeps our system free. If you get sick, you probably have to make sure to see a physician that your insurance company approves of. Make sure the insurance company approves of your doctor before you get sick. They can provide you with a list. If you’re really sick, and need to see a specialist, you may have to get a doctor’s note to see another doctor, if your insurance company preapproves. Of course, the insurance company has to approve the treatment and the medication. At every step of the way, be assured that insurance company bureaucrats will keep their watchful eye on the bottom line. If you get well, you can look forward to letters from the insurance company which will let you know if they’ve shelled out ridiculous amounts of cash for the treatment you received, or if you have to spend the rest of your life paying off the debt you may have accrued in the few hours of surgery you had to get from, say the car accident you were in while dashing off to work. Not to worry, you can rest at ease if you just keep $100,000 or so in the bank. Best to start at birth.
Compare this with other countries with national health care. If you’re sick, just go to the doctor. Need medicine? Go get it. No complicated bureaucracy making relatively arbitrary decisions about who gets their care paid for and who doesn’t. With single payer systems, taxpayers also benefit from collective bargaining power to get better deals from the giant pharmaceutical companies. The numbers are in. American health care is a ripoff. We pay too much for too little and it shows.