Jiejie and I watched Michael Moore's Sicko last night. When I first told her it was a documentary, Jiejie had a "why did you rent that" kinda of expression on her face. It was about 5 minutes in the film, we were totally engrossed!!
From my understanding, Moore exposed two major problems in the U.S. health care system, first, many poor cannot afford health insurance, and many sick are denied of insurance, and any disease would become a death sentence for them, because no hospitals are willing to take care of the costs. Second, many insured citizens are exploited by the health care system. Insurance companies established task force to find reasons to deny large payments and HMOs refuse care to critical patients of outside network, drug premium skyrocketed, middle class cannot even afford to pay the deductibles.
He proposed that Universal Health Care would solve the problem, then he took the audiences to Canada, UK, France, even Cuba to show how well things are working out in those countries under universal health care. In the end, one question seems to come out loudly, if health care a right, or a privilege. Like personal freedom and protection, should health care be nationalized?
Although very entertaining, and gave a few wow's, giggles even tears in the story telling, Michael Moore barely touched the issue on how would the government pay for this Utopian like universal health care. And he seems to gloss over all the problems of universal health care, no wonder bunch of conservative pundits are calling him propagandist rather than fact seeker. He did touch on how the current system is protected, because the insurance companies are sending millions of dollars to lobby the government. Even once upon a time trailblazer in health care reform, Hillary Clinton, are now endorsed by the health care providers.
Out of curiosity I took a look into Hillary's health care plan. She has a 16 page health care plan on her presidential campaign website.
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/healthcareplan/
Here is basically her proposal: instead of establish a large nationalized health care network, by increase taxes by a lot, she wants to give a
LARGE TAX CUT, working family can pay the health premium by receiving a tax credit. In addition, poor people can choose from a menu of private providers from a government program. However, I could not find out how would the poor pay the deductible if the government is paying the insurance cost at all. She also mentioned to lower cost by removing hidden taxes, but this didn't go beyond rhetorics.
Here is my question for Hillary: First, how can the government pay for the uninsured and give out a large tax cut without increase taxes, especially when the government is so deep in debt and need to pay for the WAR? Second, at best this plan can eliminate discrimination because poor and sick people can get insured. But private insurance companies can still refuse to pay based on some flimsy reasons of denial. Third, how is this plan stopping costs from going up? It would end up that even the insured cannot afford to pay the deductibles...
No wonder even Michael Moore started criticizing the Democrat presidential front-runner, Democrats are turning into Republicans, and Republicans are something totally new, and worse... I kinda see how Michael Moore is so angry now.
PS. When you get sick, GO TO CANADA!!!
