Sicko (Special Edition)

I watched this movie for the first time today. I have never been a Michael Moore fan and never have been really interested in his work, until this movie. Basically this is the first movie I have ever seen of his. But one thing I am interested in is health care coverage etc. After watching this movie, I couldn't help but feel ashamed that we, as a people, couldn't care for others like other Nations/Countries have done. The first thing I told my husband is, "We're moving to France!" LOL Seriously though, it really made us look selfish as a Nation and I only hope that in the future, thanks in part to this movie, we can over come our fears and try what other Countries have done successfully.

Our health care system is broken, but what should we do? Universal health care is NOT the answer. Living on the Mexican border in an economically-depressed area, I have a unique perspective on this topic. Many of our populace, both American citizens and those living here illegally, use the county (taxpayer-supported) hospital (Thomason) emergency room as a doctor's office. Junior has a cough, or needs his vaccinations, the parents take the child to the emergency room at Thomason. Why? They don't have to pay, whereas they would at a doctor's office, which is where an ailment or need of this type should go. So who ends up paying? The citizens of my county. Women ready to have a baby, or already in labor, cross the southern border and are taken to Thomason. Another "anchor baby", and 30 non-citizen family members flock over, and who gets stuck supporting them, and paying the hospital bill? The taxpaying citizens of my county. We have people crossing over the border to use not only our county hospital, but to drain all manner of resources that they do not pay for. Adding insult to injury is my own government. The drug cartels in Juarez, Mexico have ramped up the violence (Juarez and Sinaloa cartels) over turf; the Mexican police are seriously outmanned and outgunned. Mexican citizens injured in the weekend melees IN MEXICO are IMPORTED to our American hospital. Who pays for their medical care, and their import to our hospital and back to the border? The taxpayers of my county. Even worse, when Mexican police are injured in these drug wars IN MEXICO, my government imports the problem--the injured police officials are brought over here to Thomason, AND the hospital goes into lockdown for over a week at a time. Armed guards (sheriff's department being paid overtime), metal detectors, inconvenience to those legally and legitimately needing the services of the hospital, and fear instilled in everyone. The cartels will stop at nothing to "get their man"; they have stormed hospitals in Juarez to kill the police being treated there, along with innocent bystanders. It will only be a matter of time until this happens here, and it was MY GOVERNMENT who brought it to our doorstep. Who pays for the importation, medical care, release to Mexico, and weeks of 24-hour armed security for these "wanted" individuals who are not only NOT citizens of my country, but were injured NOT in America? The citizens of the county of El Paso, Texas. The El Paso government fights Washington all the time for reimbursement; it may only a matter of time until all the citizens of America will be footing this bill. What we have here in El Paso is universal health care at it's "finest": allowing people to use emergency facilities (when it is not an emergency) as a doctor's office to avoid paying for services, and bringing violence into my country (injured Mexican police officials to be followed by drug dealers out to kill them while in the hospital)--all of which I have NO say in, both in the activities and in paying for it. Taxation without representation to pay for those who not only DON'T pay anything, but don't support it with taxes because they AREN'T CITIZENS. Already this year (and it's only late July 2008) there have been 22 individuals to the tune of over $1,000,000 treated at Thomason due to the drug wars IN MEXICO (El Paso Times, July 25, 2008). The Mexican government said they'd pay; so far we've seen only about $50,000, and nothing in recent memory. (UPDATE: As of today, August 29, 2008, we're up to 30 individuals at a cost to El Paso, Texas taxpayers of $2,000,000).

Mexico is draining America in every way it can. Both of our borders and coasts need to be sealed off in the name of national security, those here illegally need to be deported immediately without exception. Once we have only those here who should be here can we start thinking, just thinking, about anything such as universal health care. When we allow other countries to bleed us dry, there will be nothing left; how then can we take care of "our own", our own citizens and our great country? We are allowing others to destroy our country, and our government willingly brings problems in from our "sister city" (Juarez, Mexico). With "relatives" like this, it is time we disowned them for our own good. Seal the borders and coasts; whatever problems another country has are THEIR problems, let them deal with, and pay for, it.

Please do not be fooled by "one of the safest cities" designation in regard to El Paso, Texas. It is not. The taxes are high, and going higher all the time; we have to deal with Mexico's problems--both the issues and the financial aspects; and we have to deal with our own government willingly bringing the violence across the border for us not only to deal with, but to pay for. Universal health care when you have a huge number of non-taxpaying citizens (a large number of whom are here illegally), a tremendous number of non-citizens coming over expressly for the "free" (to them) health care, people who clog hospital emergency rooms with non emergencies so they can get out of paying at a doctors office (and thereby tying up the ER and hospital personnel, keeping them from properly and timely addressing true emergencies), and your own government bringing in non-citizen problems that not only cost US money but add inconvenience to and instill fear in our citizens and invite violence to cross the border...no thanks.

Until we get a handle on things, both on screening who is "entitled" to the services of OUR country, and on our citizens actions as a whole, things will never get better, only worse. Having a multitude of children when you can't even afford to raise one child is irresponsible. Who ends up paying for that person's CHOICES? Those who demonstrate and exercise responsibility and sound judgement. Who uses the services of entities funded by the taxpayers? Those who pay the least in taxes, if anything at all, whether citizens or not. Come to Thomason and see what I mean. You'll have parents who can afford lots of tattoos, cigarettes, mountains of "bling" (or a few very expensive pieces). Follow them to Wal-Mart. They pay with the Lone Star card (food stamps), then load their bags and bags of chips and cases of soda and beer and cartons of cigarettes in their late-model cars for a trip down the road to the liquor store for the "hard stuff". If they can afford tattoos, cigarettes, jewelry, beer by the case (literally), hard liquor, and a tricked-out late-model car, they can certainly afford health care. They have LOTS of kids because they don't have to "pay for" them, or anything related to their care. These same kids eat free breakfast and lunch in the public schools, and never come with supplies; the parents expect the school to provide EVERYTHING. Usually mother doesn't work, often dad doesn't either; they feel THEIR "needs" (tattoos, cigarettes, fancy tricked-out cars, jewelry, and weekly cases of alcohol) are more important than anything for the children, including decent food, health care, school supplies, and proper clothing for the given weather. They just keep popping out child after child after child. Why not--they don't have to pay for anything. The rest of us do. Universal health care? No. Things are bad enough now, don't make them worse.

I really liked this documentary. It gives you a funny view of a very serious problem in the United States. However, I am partial to Michael. I have all his movies/documentaries.

Must watch to understand...
I am an Italian, that came to live in the US in 2000. I have being living here for almost 10 years, and I think that Health care is the thing where the US is most backward compared to Europe. When I came here it didn't take me long to start appreciating what we have in Italy. People in Italy generally don't complain too much about their health care, it works, there are occasionally news on "errors" in hospitals, or long waits at ER's or stuff like that, but generally it works... People get cured no matter who they are, and they don't have to worry about bills. Seen from my Italian eyes, that aspect of the US life was amazingly conflicting to many others things where the US is more advanced: in Italy you have to spend over $500 in order to get a driver license, and you have to go through medical exam, walk to at least 3 offices before you get it, and you still have to wait weeks before you can drive... In California $12 and about 1 hour in 1 DMV office, and you walk out with a temporary DL. But when it comes to health care, it's almost scary to live in the US. My family, when they came to visit me here, they were really afraid, so they got an insurance (in Italy) for heath emergency, but they were still afraid because in case something happened they had to pay out of pocket, and then ask for a reimbursement in Italy. That's different than traveling to many other countries. If you travel to France, Germany, even Australia, you don't have to worry about paying (if you are an Italian citizen) because there is an agreement of reciprocal care... Like in the movie the Canadian couple that goes to SEARS to buy insurance. This is just one of the many issues... I could go on forever. The US must grow from this point of view, a country that is modern and advanced in many aspects (that's why I work here, for the hi-tech industry), it's almost like a 3rd world country when it comes to health care...

I am not at all a Micheal Moore fan. I thought the 911 movie was disgusting and dishonest, so I wasn't sure what I would think of SICKO. Wow, I finally have seen a Moore film that I can appreciate and that I appreciate him for making. I was heartbroken and in shock over some of the things that I saw in that film. The scenes in Cuba broke me down and angered me. How can our health care system be so out of whack? Really.... How many millions do you need to make before you start doing the right thing for your citizens? BRAVO... Micheal Moore.