It is Time for Free Healthcare for Every U.S. Citizen
September 7, 2007 5:22 PM | Healthcare | Comments (5)
 | I recently watched "Sicko", a documentary released by Award-winning film director Michael Francis Moore who also produced “Bowling for Columbine” and “Fahrenheit 9/11”. Sicko is Mr. Moore’s most recent documentary that highlights the problems and catastrophes with the American Healthcare system. The film profiles several ordinary Americans whose lives have been disrupted, shattered and in some cases ended because of the healthcare catastrophe. |
As I watched the film it made me really upset as I heard of the many Americans who were having major problems because of our healthcare system. Problems involved people without healthcare insurance and people with healthcare insurance. If you believe you are Ok because you have healthcare insurance, you are seriously mistaken. Many Americans with health problems who have health insurance are going bankrupt!
In the film, it was highlighted that insurance companies look to find any loophole to drop customers who develop chronic medical problems. If you develop a chronic disease, the insurance companies look at you as a liability they'd like to get rid of. They are not in the business of helping you. They are in the business of making money!
My heart broke as I listened to a woman whose baby developed a very high fever. The woman had healthcare insurance with Kaiser Permanente, however, when she arrived at the emergency room, she was told she had to bring the baby to a Kaiser Permanente hospital. The hospital refused to attend to the sick baby because the hospital didn't cover health insurance from Kaiser Permanente. By the time the mother transported the baby to a Kaiser Permanente hospital, the baby died.
Volunteer rescue workers of 9/11 who worked weeks and months to help find victims developed serious health issues. Because the rescue workers weren't employed by the government they cannot get any assistance from the government. Many of the rescue workers have no health insurance and require extensive medical attention. However, prisoners, along with terrorists imprisoned in Guantanamo bay Cuba, get free healthcare! This seems so unfair!
There are numerous stories like this covered in Sicko, but the one thing that really startled me was the type of healthcare provided to the citizens of England, France, Canada and even the poor third world communist country of Cuba. These countries all provide free healthcare to all their citizens. In France a pregnant woman is entitled to a year off with pay for having a child. The government also helps by sending a helper to a new mother's home to assist with anything the mother desires. The helper can cook or shop for the mother. And it's free! Also in France, you can call a doctor to your home anytime of the day for help and it's free!
Cashiers in British hospitals don’t take in money. They give money to patients who can’t afford to pay for their trip home.
In Cuba a drug that costs well over $100 in the U.S. can be purchased in Cuba for about $0.15. 9/11 rescue workers traveled to Cuba with Mr. Moore and received free healthcare from the Cuban doctors. I was very surprised to see that Cuban doctors have the latest in medical equipment.
Doctors in France are rewarded financially for practicing preventative health care such as helping their patients to stop smoking or lose weight.
The amount of vacation time given to employees in England and France is amazing. Employees start off with 5 weeks vacation which can grow too many more weeks. I strongly feel this contributes to them having a healthier and longer life span than Americans.
As I watched Sicko I became more aware of how truly our healthcare system is a disgrace! Why aren’t more people standing up and protesting changes to our healthcare system? How can the richest country in the world have the worst healthcare system when compared to other industrialized countries? Why does the richest country in the world that spends the most on healthcare is decreasing in international rankings for life expectancy? Why does the richest country have the unhealthiest people when compared to other industrialized countries?
I applaud Hillary Clinton for being the first person to propose universal healthcare - free healthcare for everyone. Unfortunately, she was defeated because of all the money involved. The insurance and pharmaceutical companies have many highly paid, former Congressmen, lobbying in Washington, DC to push the insurance and pharmaceutical company’s agenda. This makes it almost impossible for Congress to change our healthcare policies.
The United States Congress will never change our healthcare system to offer universal healthcare. The only way our healthcare system will change is if Americans take to the streets in masses and protest and vote out every member of Congress who doesn't support universal healthcare.
The United States government should benchmark the healthcare systems of Canada, France and England and develop our own universal healthcare system. It’s the right thing to do!
Every American regardless of "anything" should have free healthcare. Every healthcare insurance company should be dismantled and every pharmaceutical company regulated by the government. It’s time for the United States government to take over our healthcare system and provide free healthcare for all!
In the film, it was highlighted that insurance companies look to find any loophole to drop customers who develop chronic medical problems. If you develop a chronic disease, the insurance companies look at you as a liability they'd like to get rid of. They are not in the business of helping you. They are in the business of making money!
My heart broke as I listened to a woman whose baby developed a very high fever. The woman had healthcare insurance with Kaiser Permanente, however, when she arrived at the emergency room, she was told she had to bring the baby to a Kaiser Permanente hospital. The hospital refused to attend to the sick baby because the hospital didn't cover health insurance from Kaiser Permanente. By the time the mother transported the baby to a Kaiser Permanente hospital, the baby died.
Volunteer rescue workers of 9/11 who worked weeks and months to help find victims developed serious health issues. Because the rescue workers weren't employed by the government they cannot get any assistance from the government. Many of the rescue workers have no health insurance and require extensive medical attention. However, prisoners, along with terrorists imprisoned in Guantanamo bay Cuba, get free healthcare! This seems so unfair!
There are numerous stories like this covered in Sicko, but the one thing that really startled me was the type of healthcare provided to the citizens of England, France, Canada and even the poor third world communist country of Cuba. These countries all provide free healthcare to all their citizens. In France a pregnant woman is entitled to a year off with pay for having a child. The government also helps by sending a helper to a new mother's home to assist with anything the mother desires. The helper can cook or shop for the mother. And it's free! Also in France, you can call a doctor to your home anytime of the day for help and it's free!
Cashiers in British hospitals don’t take in money. They give money to patients who can’t afford to pay for their trip home.
In Cuba a drug that costs well over $100 in the U.S. can be purchased in Cuba for about $0.15. 9/11 rescue workers traveled to Cuba with Mr. Moore and received free healthcare from the Cuban doctors. I was very surprised to see that Cuban doctors have the latest in medical equipment.
Doctors in France are rewarded financially for practicing preventative health care such as helping their patients to stop smoking or lose weight.
The amount of vacation time given to employees in England and France is amazing. Employees start off with 5 weeks vacation which can grow too many more weeks. I strongly feel this contributes to them having a healthier and longer life span than Americans.
As I watched Sicko I became more aware of how truly our healthcare system is a disgrace! Why aren’t more people standing up and protesting changes to our healthcare system? How can the richest country in the world have the worst healthcare system when compared to other industrialized countries? Why does the richest country in the world that spends the most on healthcare is decreasing in international rankings for life expectancy? Why does the richest country have the unhealthiest people when compared to other industrialized countries?
I applaud Hillary Clinton for being the first person to propose universal healthcare - free healthcare for everyone. Unfortunately, she was defeated because of all the money involved. The insurance and pharmaceutical companies have many highly paid, former Congressmen, lobbying in Washington, DC to push the insurance and pharmaceutical company’s agenda. This makes it almost impossible for Congress to change our healthcare policies.
The United States Congress will never change our healthcare system to offer universal healthcare. The only way our healthcare system will change is if Americans take to the streets in masses and protest and vote out every member of Congress who doesn't support universal healthcare.
The United States government should benchmark the healthcare systems of Canada, France and England and develop our own universal healthcare system. It’s the right thing to do!
Every American regardless of "anything" should have free healthcare. Every healthcare insurance company should be dismantled and every pharmaceutical company regulated by the government. It’s time for the United States government to take over our healthcare system and provide free healthcare for all!
Copyright © 2009 By Patrick Birmingham (Associate Writer)
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Comments
Posted by: Jay | July 12, 2009 10:07 PM
Posted by: Megan Keller | September 3, 2008 6:18 PM
Posted by: Laurie Todd | November 16, 2007 10:23 PM
Posted by: Brain | September 15, 2007 2:58 PM
Posted by: Carl | September 15, 2007 2:21 PM