'Sicko' Has Shocked Me....

Yesterday evening Kerri and I were watching Sicko, Michael Moore movie, for the first time.  We both loved it but it was a really sad movie! 

Michael Moore is a documentary film producer.   Have seen other movies of his but this one was probably the most shocking.  I don't get why people are not talking about this film more!  All of Michael Moore's create huge controversy.  Sicko documents the medical practices he see's in the USA where he is a citizen.  It focuses on the American health care system and how insurance companies are leaving people to die just so the doctors can make more money. 

I know people complain about the Canadian health care system because of our long wait lists but I know friends in the states, particularly 2 of them, who have tried to get into programs for eating disorders.  These friends have health issues because of their illness but after being in treatment 2 weeks they are told that there insurance company will not longer pay for them or that they are no longer sick! 

Here in Canada you can be hospitalized up to a year in an eating disorder hospital and then go into intensive outpatient therapy.  We don't turn away our patients or charge them a fee. 

Unfortunately the wait times for us maybe about a year for an inpatient eating disorder program; a year and a half for a psychiatrist; a year for a family doctor and up to 8 hours in the ER unless you are in danger of dying.  There are many more wait times in Canada that seem harsh....

Michael Moore was particularly showing us how in America you have to pay for health insurance but in many other countries around the world including Canada, England, France, and Cuba, health care is paid for by the tax payers and therefore free. 

Hilary Clinton was a big advocate for universal health care in the states but after 10 years of planning, this idea was thrown out by congress.  Sad. 

I do think change is hard though.  Would Americans be willing to pay more in taxes so that they could get universal health care?  I have heard arguments that they do not want to pay for everyone else's health care but only there own.  Sad but understandable since they will have to deal with getting a pay cut and have less money coming in.  Isn't the happiest country in the world in Scandinavia where healthcare and even University is free?  They don't get much to take home every month but there is also much less to worry about.

We all want more and more. When we get more we spend more so for any one of us to get less money coming in what would we do????

I have an Uncle who has lived his entire live in the states and worked as a doctor.  He is now retired.  Likely he gets much more then our doctors in Canada.  I never hear anything negative about the states or their medical system from him.  My mom, his sister has tried to explain it to me but he doesn't believe there is any issue in the states.  Is there?  You tell me?

I'm now, of course, following Michael Moore on Twitter, tee hee. He has lots to say! Big surprise :-O.

And finally, I took this creepy picture last evening in our front yard.  Kerri finds it beautiful. I think it would have been a good Halloween shot, lol...