Controversial Michael Moore Flick 'Sicko' Will Compare U.S. Health Care with Cuba's

[HM2VikingRN]

Health care advances in Cuba

According to the Associated Press as cited in the Post article, "Cuba has made recent advancements in biotechnology and exports its treatments to 40 countries around the world, raking in an estimated $100 million a year. ... In 2004, the U.S. government granted an exception to its economic embargo against Cuba and allowed a California drug company to test three cancer vaccines developed in Havana."

http://alternet.org/envirohealth/50911/?page=1

[Mentuhotep I]

I love this country. But I saw that movie today. One of the things that made tears come down my face was seeing former Ground Zero workers who have contracted illnesses from breathing the air there, with no medical coverage for the illnesses they have. People just like you and me, while the terrorist prisoners at Guantanamo Bay who helped in causing 9/11, have the best health care there is to offer in this country. I'm not on MM's side or anybody else's except God's. But I hated seeing that. If people out there think that the drug companies and HMO's and insurance companies arent' making money off of us in an awful way, then perhaps this information needs to be given to us. America was not built on complacency. It was built on people speaking freely in order to fix that which is wrong in order to make America even better. Everything could always stand improvement, since nothing is perfect.

Actually, America was built on the fact that the words and wishes of a significant portion of the population (kidnapped African slaves and women who werre not slaves), were ignored.

[anononurse]

The movie presents a strong case for UHC. However, after talking to one nurse who moved here from Canada & one that lived in France, I don't think I'd want it. I agree our system does need help, not sure what the answer is.

[fronkey bean]

The movie presents a strong case for UHC. However, after talking to one nurse who moved here from Canada & one that lived in France, I don't think I'd want it. I agree our system does need help, not sure what the answer is.

anononurse, can you suggest allnurses to them and see if they want to chime in on this thread? It would be interesting to hear their take on it.

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

Tricare, that's another gov't run insurance provider isn't it?

Providers must accept UHC reimbursement would be one fix. Health care is like a public utility and providers should have to justify their rate structures.

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

I find it hard to belive that 7% tax on employers and 2% on individuals will cover the kind of program you are talking about. I'd like to see a breakdown in actual numbers. Even eliminating insurance providers you still have to pay all health care employees (mds, rns. techs, lab, radiology, etc., etc.), all bills on all healthcare facilities, meds and equipment, the building of new facilities and updating old ones, etc. Medicare will barely reimburse now (according to an earlier poster), how are they going to manage when we increase their load by adding the 15% of uninsured Americans to their services?

There is no way this can be done on the numbers you propose.

The 7% is an employer tax which would replace the current 8.5% benefit cost and all employers would be paying into the system. The other savings is obtained by reducing administrative costs from 31% on average to 15%. The savings are more than enough to pay for a single payer system.

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

Actually, America was built on the fact that the words and wishes of a significant portion of the population (kidnapped African slaves and women who werre not slaves), were ignored.

No one has ever said the founding fathers were ever perfect. You have notice they never talked about the founding mothers. And why bring slavery into it. Talk about straying from the topic at hand.

[Mentuhotep I]

No one has ever said the founding fathers were ever perfect. You have notice they never talked about the founding mothers. And why bring slavery into it. Talk about straying from the topic at hand.

Its unfortunate that you have a difficult time dealing with facts, albeit ugly facts, but facts nevertheless. Also, as far as the "founding fathers" go, saying they were never perfect is an example of the attempts at whitewashing history. The fact is that those "founding fathers" were criminals. Besides all of them keeping many in bondage, Thomas Jefferson was 44 yrs old when 14 year old Sally Hemmings gave birth to the first of two daughters Jefferson would father with Hemmings. http://www.monticello.org/plantation/hemingscontro/hemings-jefferson_contro.html

I don't know where you are from tee, but where I am from a 44 yr old man having sex with a 14 yr old girl is a felony.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Please, folks, let's stay on topic and keep things polite.

Thank you.

[penguin2]

Interesting CNN interviews w/MM

http://www.alternet.org

http://www.alternet.org/bloggers//56446

[steelcityrn, RN]

I give great thanks to Michael Moore for his ideas,opinions and movies. He is not putting America down, he is putting down those in office who continue to IGNORE the basic needs of the people in this country. His facts are posted on his web site, mostly from the W.H.O. I hear next he may target the pharmacutical companies which will be a even bigger eye opener for everyone.

[fronkey bean]

Its unfortunate that you have a difficult time dealing with facts, albeit ugly facts, but facts nevertheless. Also, as far as the "founding fathers" go, saying they were never perfect is an example of the attempts at whitewashing history. The fact is that those "founding fathers" were criminals. Besides all of them keeping many in bondage, Thomas Jefferson was 44 yrs old when 14 year old Sally Hemmings gave birth to the first of two daughters Jefferson would father with Hemmings. http://www.monticello.org/plantation/hemingscontro/hemings-jefferson_contro.html

I don't know where you are from tee, but where I am from a 44 yr old man having sex with a 14 yr old girl is a felony.

I'm not approving of what he did, but it was a different time and it wasn't illegal, immoral perhaps but that's a different discussion. Just b/c we don't like some of the things our leaders did (and do) does not make them illegal.

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

Its unfortunate that you have a difficult time dealing with facts, albeit ugly facts, but facts nevertheless. Also, as far as the "founding fathers" go, saying they were never perfect is an example of the attempts at whitewashing history. The fact is that those "founding fathers" were criminals. Besides all of them keeping many in bondage, Thomas Jefferson was 44 yrs old when 14 year old Sally Hemmings gave birth to the first of two daughters Jefferson would father with Hemmings. http://www.monticello.org/plantation/hemingscontro/hemings-jefferson_contro.html

I don't know where you are from tee, but where I am from a 44 yr old man having sex with a 14 yr old girl is a felony.

Maybe we should Impeach Him