Sicko (Part 3) A MUST SEE

The final installment. I have been mulling over my eventual return to living in the U.S. There are lots of factors that make moving back to the States more or less appealing. I miss my family and friends and want to get back into life there. Health-care is one of the main reasons I am skittish about going home. Taiwan is not a perfect place, but they do a few things very well, including health-care. Life is a lot less stressful when you don't have to be afraid of getting sick. Here are the final 4 clips from Sicko. Please check out michaelmoore.com to find out what he is up to.

Part 9


Part 10


Part 11


Part 12



Feel free to leave a comment about your feelings. Any parts that you felt were particularly shocking or perhaps hard to believe? I look forward to hearing about how this film impacted you.

Sicko (Part 2) A MUST SEE

Parts 5-8 of the great documentary. Michael Moore has amassed an incredible amount of evidence showing why the U.S. needs to act now.

Part 5


Part 6


Part 7


Part 8

Sicko (Part 1) A MUST SEE

Thanks to YouTube, I am able to post this remarkable narrative. It exposes many of the issues involved in a broken system, the health-care industry in The United States. It's investigative reporting at its finest. Please take the time and watch this if you haven't already. Watch it again if you have seen it, it's worth your time. The film is split up into twelve 10 minute segments. Each post will contain four portions.

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Part 4

"Socialized" Medicine is NOT Evil

I woke up yesterday and my left eye itched horribly. I figured something must've got in my eye while I was sleeping. I went to the bathroom and did my best to get it out. I washed it out and rubbed it to no avail. It was driving me crazy. I spent the rest of the afternoon thinking that it would go away if I was patient...it didn't.

I went to work moaning and groaning the whole way. After my first class, I decided that I needed to see a doctor. Luckily there is an eye doctor on the 3rd floor of the building I work in. I headed down there and within about 15 minutes I was being examined. Dr. Dennis, the ophthalmologist, thoroughly examined my eye and said that I scratched it in my sleep. He even took the time to sketch out the damage to my eye on a piece of paper. Perhaps I hit the wrong part of the pillow? Not sure. The doc was very thorough and his English was near-perfect. Later in the appointment I found out that he had studied for a while at Duke University...bingo!

He said that I needed to avoid long-term exposure to reading and my computer for the next few days and he also gave me two types of eye-drops; one for dryness and the other to fight any infection. I was very satisfied with the whole process and left there feeling relieved.

A walk in appointment at 7:30 in the evening.
Wait-time of about 15 minutes.
Comprehensive exam.
Two medical assistants to help with the paperwork.
Two separate medications.

How much money did all this cost me?
$4.56 American

Enough said.

Sicko! continued...

In case any of you think Michael Moore is just an opportunistic, hate-monger, take a looksy at the last 15 minutes of Sicko. I can't imagine a better way to spend $12,000.

If this film doesn't anger and inspire you, it's time to hang up your skates and call it quits.

I never thought he could better his effort on "Bowling for Columbine"....I was mistaken.

Michael Moore, a true American patriot.

Sicko!

I finally got a chance to watch "Sicko", the health-care related documentary created by Michael Moore. Wow! What a fantastic examination of a system that is horribly damaged.

The film centers around those who thought they had adequate health-care. Those who faithfully paid into plans that were built to take advantage of the American public. Health-care in America is great, as long as you don't get sick.

Moore has managed to bring together several stories that will chill you to the bone. One that I found especially alarming is that of Doug Noe and his family...

Doug Noe's daughter, Annette, was 9 months old and losing her hearing. The doctors said she needed cochlear implants. His insurance provider, Cigna, approved an implant in one ear. They stated that an implant in both ears is considered "experimental". Not satisfied with this conclusion, Doug wrote Cigna a letter. In the letter he let them know that Michael Moore was in the process of making a documentary about the health-care/health insurance industry and he indicated that he was relaying his story to Moore. Brilliantly including a note asking if the CEO of Cigna had ever been in a film before...lol.

Not long after sending the letter to Cigna, his case was reviewed and the mega-insurance company approved implants in both ears.

Does it take blackmail to get these companies to do what we pay them to do?

I applaud Doug's effort. It's a shame he had to do it, but it worked.

I hope all of you out there get a chance to see this film, it's very well done. Also, perhaps this will be a wake-up call to our legislatures. It's time to fix this failing system. How strong can a nation be if we don't have reliable health-care?

p.s. Also, I am still reeling from the story of the woman in the car accident. She had to be taken to the hospital via ambulance. Her health insurance company didn't pay for the ambulance ride because it wasn't pre-approved...I still haven't figured out how she could've got pre-approval...

Beyond Stupid

Most of the planet agrees that the war in Iraq is a disaster. It makes me wretch just thinking about it. The whole scene makes me angry, but my deep-seeded disdain for George W. Bush is a result of his tragic domestic policy decisions. The cream of the crop is his veto of the stem-cell research legislation. All in the name of some misguided religious dogma. Now he is threatening to veto legislation that would expand health care coverage for kids...a bill that would be paid for by taxes on cigarettes. What shame!

Check out the following news item off the Reuters wire:

By Stephanie Beasley

LANDOVER, Maryland (Reuters) - A veto threat by President George W. Bush over a measure to expand a government health program for children triggered outrage on Wednesday from congressional Democrats and advocacy groups.

A Senate panel is considering a proposal to boost funding for children's health insurance by $35 million, an expansion that would be funded by higher federal taxes on cigarettes.

The State Children's Health Insurance Program, known as SCHIP, covers 6.1 million children in families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to pay for private insurance.

During a visit to a factory in the Washington suburb of Landover, Bush said he supported the health program's initial concept of helping poor families.

But Bush, who earlier this year unveiled a plan to revamp the tax code with the aim of making health care more affordable, said the Senate plan would in some cases extend government health coverage to families making as much as $80,000 a year.

He said that would increase the government's reach into health care and distort the market. "I really do believe that the government involvement in health care will lead to less quality care and rationing over time," Bush said.

"If Congress continues to insist upon expanding health care through the S-CHIP program -- which, by the way, would entail a huge tax increase for the American people -- I'll veto the bill," he added.

Former Sen. John Edwards, a Democratic presidential candidate, called Bush's veto threat "heartless and shortsighted."

"The obstacle to expanding health care in America is none other than George Bush. On his watch, the number of uninsured Americans has grown by 5 million, while he remains ideologically committed to the profits of private insurers," Edwards said.

Massachusetts Democratic Sen. John Kerry, who lost to Bush in the 2004 election, accused him of clinging to "unworkable proposals" for health care and a "wrong-headed tax scheme" and urged him not to veto the children's health legislation.

Bush contends his plan to provide tax breaks to people to help them buy private health insurance would make health care more affordable and reduce the number of uninsured Americans.

But Bruce Lesly, president of the family advocacy group First Focus, said uninsured poor children would not benefit from the deductions because they would not cover enough of families' costs.

"Unfortunately, the biggest threat to the health and well being of our nation's children is the Administration's own budget proposals and veto threats," Lesly said in a statement.

This is unacceptable.