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

[FionaSophia]

20 20 did a counter interview with michael moore, he refused to answer a lot of questions about the exaggerated and misleading aspects of his film. My eyes and ears are open but the bttom line is, I am glad to be an american and if I am going to be sick someplace, please let it be here.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

20 20 did a counter interview with michael moore, he refused to answer a lot of questions about the exaggerated and misleading aspects of his film. My eyes and ears are open but the bttom line is, I am glad to be an american and if I am going to be sick someplace, please let it be here.

Amen, being in a hospital in cuba sounds more like a nightmare than a medical utopia.

[BradleyRN]

It's over exaggerated and pretty inaccurate.

I dont know where you got that idea. According to CNN:

We found that his numbers were mostly right...As we dug deep to uncover the numbers, we found surprisingly few inaccuracies in the film. here

We would like to believe that it is inaccurate because the alternative would be shocking and appalling. People want to dispute the validity of Michael Moore, but what about Linda Pino? She is the doctor who testified before congress. Certainly her words carry some weight.

The majority of people that will complain about the accuracy of this film are those desperately afraid of universal health care. Unless they did a fact check like CNN, then their opinion is biased and not based on the information presented. :)

[gregmcl]

Michael Moore is a professional extremist. He showed SINGLE good examples of adequate healthcare in other countries. He built a good story. Don't get me wrong, Healthcare, or should I say, funding of and insurance, is a JOKE but take Mr Moore's story with a grain of salt.

[gregmcl]

bradley, i am almost certain it is way exaggerated. he came up with good stories about adequate healthcare recv'd in other countries and hardly a negative comment about people dying on lists while being treated in a country with socialized medicine. if i had the money, i would make a counter film to sicko and find tons of people who are receiving excellent healthcare in this country without the red tape, and people losing body parts to infection in other countries. i am almost certain his film is very exaggerated

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

If you fit into the right slots the majority of people get decent healthcare in the USA. I think MM picked out the people that slid through the cracks ( and we all know there are a lot of those) and picked the most sympathetic stories for his film. I like MM and actually agree with his take on healthcare, but did not like "Sicko." It went right for the panic button instead of looking at how we got in this mess and what works/doesn't work for the people we serve.

[jncRN]

I'm an RN in Canada...born and raised here as well...

I have no idea of the accuracy of the documentary in terms of the American stories. But in my many years of experience, people get treatment in a timely manner and there are no "evils" associated with socialized medicine.

I think all systems have the faults...it just depends on what faults you are willing to accept, as a society, and which ones are unacceptable. To me, having equal access to healthcare is a cornerstone of a democratic society. Just my

[AKNurse2]

I have seen Sicko and was pretty repelled, too. I tend too consider Michael Moore as an overgrown middle schooler with an excellent intellect and a decent research staff. That being said, I have serious concerns about who is making money in the American health care system, and why this population is sicker than other developed countries, at such tremendous costs. I think "socialized medicine" tends to scare people. I have family that live in a country with socialized medicine, family that are American citizens with very strong positive feelings towards all things American... except the way health care is managed here. Yes, their taxes are higher (but total costs payed out if you consider health care premiums, deductibles and other uncovered prescriptions negate or reverse that total), and this family member is an accountant and very knowledgeable about such matters. They have also been through extensive medical issues, have minimal to no complaints about waiting for care. Yes, I am sure you can dredge up stories about sub- par care that has killed people. Where can you not? I think the real question is: is health care a right, or is it something that should be granted to those who can pay. Michael Moore is not a good ambassador on this subject, but it is good that the subject is raised at all. Call socialized medicine by another name and I think the discussion would be a lot more productive. Just my two cents, thanks for your time:)

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

I work with several nurses from Canada. They had a story about how Canada put caps on how much money doctors could make in a year. One town's surgeon met his cap by April, so he went on a 8 month long vacation while patients had to go to another city for surgery, or cope with a less specialized surgeon.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

It's not unbelievable at all in my personal experience. The only thing that I find shocking is that Americans are so dead-set against universal healthcare. It's simply illogical that the average uninsured or underinsured citizen would fear having healthcare for all Americans.

And by the way, when is the last time you had to have work done on your teeth? Even with insurance, I can't afford the bridgework and root canals that were prescribed for me 10 years ago.

I'd take an increase in taxes over my $150/month premiums anytime, especially if I knew that when a medicine was ordered, I didn't have to refuse to fill the script because my insurance didn't cover it.

I'd take a delay in treatment over no treatment at all anytime.

And, BTW, I have had THREE patients just this past week alone who were admitted with rebounding HTN and chest pain because they couldn't afford their medications. Three. In one week. All because of the perfect storm of fixed incomes, budget cuts, and rising cost of living.

It's only gonna get worse folks. I look at it this way: the fatcats in Washington are blowing our healthcare dollars in fighting the wrong war.

[PiPhi2004]

IMO, if MM wanted to show you how BAD socialized medicine was instead of how good it was, he could create just as much shock effect going that way too. I think its a grey area and of course the system is in need of reform. Personally I would be all for universal healthcare if resources would be utilized in a better fashion than now. For example, myself and a co-worker went through each patient on our 16 bed unit. Out of all patients, only one is what we would call 'viable.' ONE!! It sounds heartless, but quit spending billions of dollars on dead people! This is just my experience and I would love to hear how others see how healthcare dollars are wasted in other areas. Also, another documentary "the business of being born" shows how midwives are being pushed out and insurances wont cover them, but heck, how much cheaper is that?!?! Why should ALL women come to the hospital and get drugs they dont need when a midwife can give them adequate care at HOME? Spending money on this crap is rediculous.

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

I wondered if it was at all true. Seemed pretty fantastic. That's why I asked. It's 1 in the morning, all my synapses may not be firing. Thanks.

Check his website. He has independent verifications posted about the patients he profiled.