I am watching Michael Moore's "Sicko" for the first time....

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Mar 25, 2009

I don't know the answers but I sure wish something was done, one of the things we look forward to with me being a RN is the great medical benefits the hospital I want to work at has. For full coverage medical and dental for my whole family will come out to 250 a month. My husband is self employed, for us to Ins our whole family now with a high deductible to lower the premium was 932 a month. That is a few hundred shy of my rent! Not to mention we rarely go to the Doctor, and are all pretty healthy but I am to scared of the WHAT IF's to not have it for at least my children. To save money for us now, my husband and I do not have Ins. I have to have it for NS so I will get it in a few months. I really wish something would happen to make it more affordable.

DeeAngel · Mar 25, 2009

I am all in favor of Universal Healthcare but I am not willing to pay more in taxes than I already pay.

RochesterRN-BSN, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2009

I watched that movie for the first time just a few weeks ago........actually I posted a thread afterwards curious as to how social medicine would affect me as a nurse.......got some interesting feedback!

The movie does get ya thinkin though doesn't it?!!?!?

John20 · Mar 25, 2009

I want universal health care as well, but take everything you see in a Michael Moore movie with a grain of salt. He's from around here (Flint) and either the Detroit News or Detroit Free Press did an article on how his movies use selective editing to manipulate their points rather than to potray the a picture consistent with reality. They also had fact-checkers tear up a lot of the movies as well. This was before "Sicko" but once a source is tarnished for me, I don't go back there again.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Mar 25, 2009

I've never seen "Sicko", because I don't like Michael Moore and have no use for his radical bombastics. However, I've been speaking out in favor of UHC for over 20 years, having been uninsured AND underinsured and denied two desperately-needed surgeries. I'm also paying nearly $500 a month for my current employer's health coverage, which is as bad as having NO insurance since it won't cover any of my pre-existing conditions. In addition, I've gone through one bankruptcy due to medical bills and may have to file again at some point in the future since the bills are mounting up fast now that both my dh and I are older and have to see our PCP every 3 months for "maintenance".

iteachob, MSN, RN · Mar 25, 2009

The OP should be incredulous.......Michael Moore is a MASTER of Propaganda!

LaughingRN · Mar 25, 2009

As someone who has always lived in Canada, I think that some people don't realize some of the consequences of having a socialized healthcare system.

I am known to simultaneously praise and hate our system at the same time.

Some big problems off the top of my head.

1. The doctor shortage....We probably have the same proportion of people without GPs as you guys have without insurance. If there are no doctors in your area...you are out of luck so...

ETA: The doctor shortage is related to the non-competitive pay that socialized systems pay...

2. The ER is used and abused. There is no other choice. (See above)

3. Shortage of doctors and funding creates... wait lists. Even Canadians don't realize how dismal it is when it takes months to see a specialist, a year to have an MRI, months to start radiation of a diagnosed cancer... until they experience it themselves, and there is no exaggeration there (anyone can google wait list times in Canada for any of the above). We don't have a two tier system, so your option is to wait, or leave the country ($).

This is no where near an inclusive list.

Michael Moore is biased and shows one side of the story. Our system is just as weak and broken, it's just a different type of weak and broken. The grass is always greener...

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Mar 25, 2009

I pay $175 or thereabouts every pay period for my family's insurance. All 3 of us are healthy - I take Zoloft for depression, OCPs, and Lunesta for insomnia r/t nightshift. Other than that, no meds for any of us. My employer pays about $350 every pay period for my insurance.

Take my $175 and my employers $350 = $525. If my employer didn't have to pay that, and I didn't have that taken out of my paycheck going straight to the insurer - hey, take that and fund UHC. Do that across the board, I don't know that anyone would need to worry about their taxes going up.

Honnête et Sérieux · Mar 25, 2009

What is the matter with us that our health care system is ranked #37 among industrialized nations?

The problem is not with the US health care system; the problem is with the horrendously flawed methodology used to create the rankings.

You can't rank health care systems by using non-healthcare indicators and expect to have an accurate result.

Healthcare is already a right. So is gun ownership, religious freedom, and free speech. It doesn't mean that we should expect someone else (i.e. the gov't) to accomodate me and pay me to write an article about what ever I want, have the gov't build a church of my liking on my street so I don't have to drive 30 miles to get to one, or that I should expect someone to buy me a gun. It means that no one impedes my capacity to pursue those rights.

And just because the gov't oversees care, it doesn't suddenly mean they will pay for all digit and limb re-attachments...because THEY WON'T.

And the idea of implementing a UHC program because a few are underinsured will only lead to making us all underinsured.

Moore is a hypocrite, a poser, and a liar. We can't assign one inch of credibility to someone who is blatantly dishonest about so much of his material...and who profits to the tune of millions by lying.

amarilla, RN · Mar 25, 2009

Trust the government to use taxpayer money wisely and implement realistic, efficient programs, particularly after this most recent spending debacle?

No thanks.

I'm happier to work and pay for my own coverage than trust the government to dole out what they see fit that I should receive.

Best,

Southern

P.S. OP - please read some factual critiques about this movie. You're going to find much of what you saw was mostly for effect..

and boy, it works, doesn't it? Nothing is ever what it appears when someone is presenting a persuasive argument.

roseynurse345 · Mar 25, 2009

I don't like the thought of people being denied health services due to lack of insurance, however, I don't think the gov't should be running it, it does a lousy job already. What you don't hear is how in Europe, people do take out private insurance. My cousin living in Ireland, went to the public hospital, in severe pain, they kept her waiting for over half a day, and then they just sent her home. She was still in so much pain, she went to the private hospital(interesting to note: owned by American co.), she was seen right away and was admitted for pyleonephritis and pelvic inflamation. This is the difference between a public hospital and a private pay hospital, does it sound any different then what someone would experience here in the US? Our health system needs a major repair, I'm not sure what is the solution.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Mar 25, 2009

Can we at least go for a flat rate tax across the board that everyone has to pay? Please Please Please