Sicko a must-see for Americans

We went to see the sneak peek of Sicko last night in Seattle. The theater was packed, and it was one of the bigger screens in the multiplex. Now, as I said before, I've been anxious to see this movie since the day Michael Moore announced he was going to make it, years ago, after Fahrenheit 9/11. I went in to the movie with high expectations, and when it was over I fully felt that Michael Moore had delivered, above and beyond.

The movie is not an easy movie to watch. Many of the stories were heartwrenching, like that told by the mother of the 18-month-old girl who'd spiked a fever and was denied care at the closest hospital by Kaiser Permanente--by the time she got to the Kaiser hospital, which was much farther away, the little girl had gone into cardiac arrest, and she died. Or the story of the woman in her early twenties who had cervical cancer and was denied coverage by her insurance company because she was "too young" to have it. The cancer has now metastasized.

Moore did something masterful, I think. You know we always hear about these millions of people who have no health insurance, and he does touch on that in the film. But he explicitly aims the film at the 250 million Americans who think they have insurance--and shows us that having insurance is no guarantee that we will receive the care we need if we actually get sick.

He also goes to Canada, the UK, and France, to talk to people on the ground about what it is like to have universal healthcare. Now, we know there is only so much you can show in two hours. And sure, he probably could have dug up some people to complain about those systems. But I think that we've seen enough rationing of care by now in this country to know that you don't need a government-run system for healthcare rationing to happen. Watching this movie made me embarrassed for what we've become as a country--the heartlessness and cruelty that comes out of the greed behind for-profit healthcare.

Michael Moore has caught some flak for his trip to Cuba, and I'd heard some things about his trip with the 9/11 rescue workers, but I was unprepared for how moved I was by this part of the film. It's clear from his portrayal that Cuba is not paradise--it is a poor country. Yet the generosity that is shown for these people, because they are human beings in need of care...Yes! Magazine's Summer 2007 edition has an article on healthcare in Cuba and how Cuba is training doctors for free, in exchange for a commitment to serve the poor. They have decided that it is a way that they can invest in their own security--not by building up their military, but by building a reputation of generosity to those in need. They sent thousands of doctors and medical staff to help in Pakistan after the earthquake there, and were able to transform a shaky relationship into a relationship of trust. They even tried to send medical help to New Orleans--but were denied the right of entry. I think that freedom of expression is worth a lot. For how much we do have of that, in this country, I am grateful. But if you are sick and in need of care and are not wealthy, America is not a good place to be. And that is a shameful thing.

It doesn't have to stay that way. Universal single-payer health insurance wouldn't be that hard to implement. We already spend more than anybody else per capita on healthcare. Yet it would virtually destroy a very powerful industry, one with four lobbyists per member of Congress. They will not go without a fight. No parasite wants to die; the will to live is strong. The question is, how long can we, the hosts, tolerate the parasites that will only keep us alive as long as it is useful and profitable to them?

Healthcare has many nuances. I long for a healthcare system which is about creating and maintaining health, not just about fighting illness once it happens. I have great respect for naturopathic care. I think our system could benefit from being more holistic. Universal single-payer health insurance would not solve the problem of how to create wellness, in and of itself. But I think it would be a great place to start. We at least need to amp up this conversation, and I think that what Michael Moore has done will do a lot to help that happen. Kudos to you, Michael. You are one of my great America heroes.

Please see the movie. And let's start that conversation.

Links:
Dennis Kucinich's plan for universal, single-payer, not for profit healthcare
The People's Email Action Network action page for HR 676, Healthcare for All
Yes! Magazine article about Cuba exporting health care

The official Sicko trailer: