Flint, MIMichael Moore's latest documentary "Sicko" raises awareness of illegal practices by U.S. health insurance companies and drug companies. At the beginning of this eye-opening and honest dissection of a corrupt health system, Moore explains how he set up a website inviting anyone who had been denied health insurance to submit a complaint. He received more than 25,000 emails.
The first "victim" is an uninsured carpenter with two severed fingers who must decide whether he wants doctors to reattach his ring finger for $12,000 or his middle finger for $60,000. Being a 'hopeless romantic', (Moore is a master of sarcasm) he opts for the ring finger.
The filmmaker takes eight people who were denied health care, including three Ground Zero volunteer rescue workers, to Guantanamo. Why? Because US government officials bragged about how alleged terrorists being held at the US naval base receive top-rate free health care. Naturally, they are turned away.
Next up, the group visits a pharmacy. One American woman (a Ground Zero rescue worker) suffers from respiratory problems and she asks the pharmacist how much her $120 prescription would cost in Cuba. The answer: about 5 cents. Overcome with anger and bewilderment, she breaks down and cries—how can her government let drug companies charge these obscene prices for necessary drugs?
It gets worse: Moore interviews people whose family members, even children, died as a result of insurance companies denying them medical care.
Back to Cuba: These eight people are then taken by Moore to a hospital in Cuba, where they receive excellent medical treatment.
He also visits Canada, England and France—highlighting their public health care systems. Public health care is not only free; each country provides excellent health care, including preventive medicine. And doctors are well-paid. With the socialized medicine system in France, doctors even make house calls and nannies are provided twice a week to help young mothers—no charge.
(France ranks number one by the World Health Organization in its global 2000 survey of the best healthcare countries, while the US is placed 37th on the list. Cuba is ranked 39th.)
Although Sicko takes jabs at President Bush, it also criticizes the Democrats for their inaction. It shows both parties bribed by pharmaceutical companies and insurance carriers and in some cases, how much politicians were paid off.
Most disturbing is how the film shows doctors—who are employed by health insurers—receive bonuses when they denied people medical coverage—this spelled bigger profits for the insurers.
Above all, Moore says that he wants Sicko to be a call to action. If you have been denied health care benefits, you may want to seek legal action.