D. Armenta
PlagmanMichael Moore's "Sicko": Half Accurate, Other Half Absent
The highly anticipated premiere of Michael Moore’s SICKO, which many believed to be a horror flick in which Moore took off his shirt, is reported to contain relatively accurate statistics, much to the surprise of both his fans and critics. Experts in the health-care industry, however, are choosing to focus more on what the unbiased filmmaker left out of his presentation, audaciously implying that Moore didn’t cover every side of the story.
Over the past 5 years, the number of uninsured Americans has fluctuated between 41 and 44 million; over that same span, the number of uninsured Mexicans driving pick-ups has increased 350%. According to the Institute of Medicine, 18,000 people die every year mainly because they are less likely to receive screening and preventive care for chronic diseases (CNN); only 16,850 of those people chose not to go to the hospital, which is the hospital’s fault for not being more appealing. To help put 18,000 deaths every year into perspective, this is equivalent to the number of people who die from smoking-related illnesses every 16 days.
Another statistic cited by Moore was that the United States spends more of its gross domestic product on health care than any other country, which is true. The US spends over 15% of its GDP on fat people and smokers, with no other nation coming close. France and Canada spend only 11% and 10%, respectively, both of which are over 200 times less than 15%. Yet, despite spending all of that money, America’s healthcare ranks only 37th according to the World Health Organization. France and Canada both place in the top 10 (Cuba, Moore’s mistress, is 39th, which you can catch on-screen if you pay really close attention).
To answer the question of where the extra money is going, since Americans apparently are not receiving as much or better care, healthcare analyst Paul Keckley said that “overhead for most private health insurance plans range between 10% and 30%.”
Explained healthcare ethicist Mark Meaney of the National Institute for Patient Rights, “compare that to Medicare, which only has an overhead rate of 1%; Medicare is an extremely efficient health-care delivery system” that somehow managed to stay out of Moore’s documentary entirely.
Given how much time Moore spent promoting foreign healthcare systems, it’s quite odd that he only presented a tiny fragment of the real story. In the documentary, he details the universal healthcare provided in Canada, France, the UK, and Cuba. He shows calm patients in the waiting rooms of the aforementioned countries who are excited to be there, enjoying the benefits of hassle-free healthcare paid for by the government. When asked about billing and the cost of stay, the patients simply laughed and smiled, since they didn’t speak English. It should be noted, however, that Moore does not tell us where the government gets the extra money from to pay for nationalized healthcare. But even though the tax rates in said countries are up to 20% higher, Moore would appreciate it if movie-goers assumed the money didn’t come from higher taxes.
But despite what you see on the big-screen, believe it or not it isn’t that simple. In these foreign countries which Michael Moore obviously favors and should move to immediately, everyone does, in fact, receive a basic level of care for free. That basic level is established by a team of government doctors and officials who don’t even consider the budget while determining what’s best for tens of millions people. Only those who want a treatment outside of the standard plan have to pay out-of-pocket or get supplemental insurance. Fortunately for other countries, 67% of their population isn’t grossly overweight.
Another focus of Moore’s film was the private insurance companies in America. While it’s true that they are a**holes and have a ton of money, it is also true that there are several government-funded health-care systems (Medicare, Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and the VA health-care systems) that account for 50% of all healthcare spending in the US. But given that 50% only equals about 1/8th, it is understandable that Moore would choose to graze over these programs. And although it’s unlikely that this would also be left out by a veteran filmmaker such as Moore whose life’s work is presenting both sides of any story, the United States ranks #1 in patient satisfaction. Moreover, only Germany has a shorter waiting time for elective procedures such as hip replacements or cataract removal, but those people do have to suffer the burden of having to live in Germany.
In response to the film’s presentation of what is wrong with the American healthcare system, the American Medical Association is working with the government to develop legislation that permits Americans to not be overweight, and also gives them permission to not smoke. If passed, this would significantly reduce their need for exorbitant amounts of healthcare. The plan passed easily in the House, but the Senate, which will be voting for the bill on All-You-Can-Eat Ribs night, is expected to be its greatest obstacle.
Over the past 5 years, the number of uninsured Americans has fluctuated between 41 and 44 million; over that same span, the number of uninsured Mexicans driving pick-ups has increased 350%. According to the Institute of Medicine, 18,000 people die every year mainly because they are less likely to receive screening and preventive care for chronic diseases (CNN); only 16,850 of those people chose not to go to the hospital, which is the hospital’s fault for not being more appealing. To help put 18,000 deaths every year into perspective, this is equivalent to the number of people who die from smoking-related illnesses every 16 days.
Another statistic cited by Moore was that the United States spends more of its gross domestic product on health care than any other country, which is true. The US spends over 15% of its GDP on fat people and smokers, with no other nation coming close. France and Canada spend only 11% and 10%, respectively, both of which are over 200 times less than 15%. Yet, despite spending all of that money, America’s healthcare ranks only 37th according to the World Health Organization. France and Canada both place in the top 10 (Cuba, Moore’s mistress, is 39th, which you can catch on-screen if you pay really close attention).
To answer the question of where the extra money is going, since Americans apparently are not receiving as much or better care, healthcare analyst Paul Keckley said that “overhead for most private health insurance plans range between 10% and 30%.”
Given how much time Moore spent promoting foreign healthcare systems, it’s quite odd that he only presented a tiny fragment of the real story. In the documentary, he details the universal healthcare provided in Canada, France, the UK, and Cuba. He shows calm patients in the waiting rooms of the aforementioned countries who are excited to be there, enjoying the benefits of hassle-free healthcare paid for by the government. When asked about billing and the cost of stay, the patients simply laughed and smiled, since they didn’t speak English. It should be noted, however, that Moore does not tell us where the government gets the extra money from to pay for nationalized healthcare. But even though the tax rates in said countries are up to 20% higher, Moore would appreciate it if movie-goers assumed the money didn’t come from higher taxes.
But despite what you see on the big-screen, believe it or not it isn’t that simple. In these foreign countries which Michael Moore obviously favors and should move to immediately, everyone does, in fact, receive a basic level of care for free. That basic level is established by a team of government doctors and officials who don’t even consider the budget while determining what’s best for tens of millions people. Only those who want a treatment outside of the standard plan have to pay out-of-pocket or get supplemental insurance. Fortunately for other countries, 67% of their population isn’t grossly overweight.
Another focus of Moore’s film was the private insurance companies in America. While it’s true that they are a**holes and have a ton of money, it is also true that there are several government-funded health-care systems (Medicare, Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and the VA health-care systems) that account for 50% of all healthcare spending in the US. But given that 50% only equals about 1/8th, it is understandable that Moore would choose to graze over these programs. And although it’s unlikely that this would also be left out by a veteran filmmaker such as Moore whose life’s work is presenting both sides of any story, the United States ranks #1 in patient satisfaction. Moreover, only Germany has a shorter waiting time for elective procedures such as hip replacements or cataract removal, but those people do have to suffer the burden of having to live in Germany.
In response to the film’s presentation of what is wrong with the American healthcare system, the American Medical Association is working with the government to develop legislation that permits Americans to not be overweight, and also gives them permission to not smoke. If passed, this would significantly reduce their need for exorbitant amounts of healthcare. The plan passed easily in the House, but the Senate, which will be voting for the bill on All-You-Can-Eat Ribs night, is expected to be its greatest obstacle.
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Im looking forward to Sicko...