Whos The Sicko?
June 18th, 2007 by Nancy ClevelandHow about you? Do you plan to go see “Sicko” when it comes to a theater near you?  I hope you do…as I certainly plan to…not that most of us don’t already know the state of the health care system in this country is absolutely abysmal and has been for far too long. Read items like THIS and THIS (among far too many others like them) and one has to wonder how we stooped so low. When did medicine become a “for profit” organization? What happened to the Hippocratic Oath and “First do NO harm”? If you happen to disagree with a more equal system, “socialised” medicine, how do you reconcile that disagreement with the 9 million kids who do not have access to health care…and what would be your suggestion? I doubt there is another on offer…except for “I’ve got mine and so I don’t care”.Â
One argument often heard is “Why should we pay for everyone else’s medical care” (with regards to a system similar to either Canada or the UK). Why not? We pay for it, anyway, as noted here…
“Marian Wright Edelman, of the Children’s Defense Fund, called the problem a “national disgrace.” The crisis “not only costs lives of children and stress for families, but it also costs taxpayers money,” she added.
Here’s how it costs taxpayers money:
When Carol Martin’s son, Simon, had an infected toe, she could not afford to take him to the doctor. She cut a hole in his shoe and hoped it would get better. But it got worse. After five months fighting red tape, she got public insurance for her son, but by then his foot required expensive surgery — a bill taxpayers swallowed.
“I’m not looking for a handout,” said Martin. “I just need assistance. Health care. That’s all.”
When uninsured children do get medical care, that care is often inferior. One study from Families USA said an uninsured child is twice as likely to die when hospitalized, when compared to an insured child.”
What would it take for any one of us to change our minds on this travesty? I can tell you…our own child or children to die from an abcessed tooth, cancer or other serious illness simply because we, you, I lacked health insurance through no fault of our own and no-one gave a damn.
I don’t care…because it doesn’t matter…what the personal opinions are of Michael Moore.  Go see the movie…(June 29th. release date…if it comes here). Â
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June 18th, 2007 at 10:03 am
This is almost as funny as the Bush blogs.
June 18th, 2007 at 11:11 am
I must be missing the part that says “give your services for no profit”
Original, translated from Greek.
“ I swear by Apollo, Asclepius, Hygieia, and Panacea, and I take to witness all the gods, all the goddesses, to keep according to my ability and my judgment, the following Oath.
To consider dear to me as my parents him who taught me this art; to live in common with him and if necessary to share my goods with him; To look upon his children as my own brothers, to teach them this art I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.
To please no one will I prescribe a deadly drug nor give advice which may cause his death.
Nor will I give a woman a pessary to procure abortion.
But I will preserve the purity of my life and my arts.
I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.
In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional ill-doing and all seduction and especially from the pleasures of love with women or with men, be they free or slaves.
All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal.
If I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and practice my art, respected by all men and in all times; but if I swerve from it or violate it, may the reverse be my lot.
June 18th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Nance: Have you ever heard read horror stories about “socialized medicine?” Also, I fail to generate much … well, sympathy, I suppose, for anecdotes such as what you posted. The woman cut a hole in the wound? At the very worst the woman could have taken her child to an emergency room for treatment (even before she cut the damn hole). They have to accept her and treat the child. Yes, we still pay for such as taxpayers and I am in no way saying that US healthcare cannot be reformed, but that story says more about the parent than the state of US healthcare.
I think a good start is to get the gov. and insurance cos. OUT of the business in the first place. Let doctors and hospitals deal with people directly. So much of the current costs are administrative and wasteful.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Hube: Yes, unfortunately it’s mostly “horror stories” I hear, constantly, about “socialized medicine” but having been born/raised in the UK I’m afraid they strike me much the same as “boogey-man” tales to scare us off the idea. My family, in it’s entirety, still live in the UK and while they may have the occasional complaint certainly nothing on the scale we have here. With a sister who has several medical problems…including diabetes…and a brother-in-law who, in the last year had to have heart surgery in addition to his continuing treatment for cancer they aren’t in the poor house, don’t have to choose between one medication or the other or worry about how they will cover the costs of radiation/chemo etc. Further, and most important, they do not have to fear treatment being denied by physician, hospital OR insurance company whether able to continue working or not.
By the way, Hube…I think you misread the post. The woman did not cut a hole in her son’s wound…it said she cut a hole in his shoe presumably to accomodate some comfort. I don’t think anyone is asking for sympathy…outrage, perhaps, that we are 37th….37th. among many nations where health care is concerned…and wouldn’t you say that given we tout ourselves as the greatest country in the world, the model for all others, that’s deserving of outrage?
June 19th, 2007 at 8:33 am
Hube, the point Nancy is making, which is ignored by many who jump on the word “socialized” medicine, is the satisfaction people have whose governments have stepped up to underwrite the health care of every single citizen.
Like Nancy who has lived under such a system, I have encountered citizens of other nations, like Great Britain, like Finland, like Japan, all three of which I have spent some significant time, who are satisfied with their health care and the government insurance payments they make in order to fund their health care system. Their lower infant mortality and longer life spans attest to the effectiveness of their health coverage. Only the isolated ignorant ignore this informational input.
Your suggestion to deal directly with doctors and hospitals ignores the financial impact from major medical incidents that cost upwards from tens of thousands of dollars into the hundreds of thousands.
In order for all citizens to be covered, and in order to substantially reduce our runaway administrative costs, we need the government involved as health insurance underwriter and administrator. The running of Medicare for senior citizens has demonstrated our government’s ability to run an effective and cost efficient health care program.
The Medicare model should therefore be expanded and refined in such a way as to provide basic medical coverage, including major medical, for every citizen. Since we are the wealthiest nation on earth, I find it very hard to believe that we cannot afford such a plan. Call it “socialized” medicine if your rhetoric requires and if you wish, I am in favor of it!
Single-payer, government underwritten, shared premiums, copays, this is Medicare. Let us refine and expand it for all citizens. And yes, I know this is a lot more complicated than my statements here imply, but let’s pursue it. What we have now is undeniably unacceptable.
June 23rd, 2007 at 4:09 pm
I suggest you read this critique of Moore’s film, as well as the corresponding comments. In it, of note, 89% of Americans are satisfied with their own health care, Perry. Did you know that?
Ah, and there’s the obligatory Only the isolated ignorant ignore this informational input. Ignorance is actually attributing definitive causation to something w/o examining myriad other factors. Y’know, like believing Americans are unsatisfied with their health care!
June 23rd, 2007 at 4:18 pm
Their lower infant mortality and longer life spans attest to the effectiveness of their health coverage. Only the isolated ignorant ignore this informational input.
Ah, nothing like making the ignorant who call others ignorant look ignorant: Link.
Look at the bright side, Perry. You can always go back to hating Israel.
June 23rd, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Hube, it’s relatively simple to be satisfied with anything when you know no different…until you understand that being 37th. among the other nations studied is a pretty poor show for “the greatest county in the world”.
June 25th, 2007 at 9:42 am
Indeed, Nancy.
Hube, note well how you parse statements in order to deceive: “In it, of note, 89% of Americans are satisfied with their own health care, Perry. Did you know that?” ==> Hube
Not only did I not know that, but you misstated the information.
Here is the actual quote from the piece you cited: “Indeed, according to a recent ABC News/Kaiser Family Health study, insured Americans are overwhelmingly (89 percent) satisfied with their own care, while broadly concerned about rising costs of prescription drugs and critical of the care others receive.” http://www.reason.com/news/show/120998.html
The operative word is: “insured Americans”.
Now how about the health care that the 47 million uninsured get, or most likely don’t get? Have you no concern for them, Hube?
In my view, basic health care should be considered a right to which we are all entitled, and to which we should all contribute according to our ability to so do.
I happen to be one of the 89% of the insured group who is satisfied, and have been for years, long before my Medicare insurance coverage, under private insurance, both of which provide for choice of doctors.
Anecdotally, I will share with you that due to chronic conditions, my wife’s and my uncovered, out-of-pocket annual expenses have amounted to about 15K-16K in recent years! Income tax deduction of about half of this offsets several thousand dollars, but it is still a large sum to us, a middle income family, I’m sure you would agree.
Fortunately, we can afford to pay this presently, however, what if we could not. The simple answer is that we would be rapidly reducing our savings at the least, or at the worst doing without some or all once our savings were depleted.
The problem is that medical costs, including Rx, have escalated by 10-15% per year for a number of years. Many other nations have handled this problem much better than we have. Isn’t it time for us to look at them and to make some large changes? I think so!
The label “socialized medicine” is used as a political buzzword by the underinformed and more fortunate among us in order to scare us away from health care reform. It is past time that we seriously address this national problem in spite of this kind of meaningless rhetoric.
June 25th, 2007 at 9:53 am
Now to the review of Moore’s Sicko — a well written review, one which reinforces my desire to see the film.
It seems the Moore has no “cure” either, but the function of his film, hopefully, will help to make the health care debate the center of focus so we can generate a better system than we now have.
$47 million uninsured, 37 million living in poverty — don’t you think that this is totally unacceptable for America? I do!
June 25th, 2007 at 11:24 am
89%, Nancy. It seems only some 11% “know no different.”
I’ll say it again: Just as with the infant mortality stats, one must dig a bit deeper to reveal the underlying reasons behind “being 37th.”
June 25th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Hube, you ignore my correction of your misstatement, you use your misstatement again, and then you use a play on words to make a further misstatement of Nancy’s point. Unconvincing you are, for sure!
So we are 37th. Should amaze most Americans. I’m sure that the negligent among us can spin this statistic to make us look better.
Perhaps the better question to ask is why we are not first!
Why is that Hube?