Movies: SiCKO

Last week I got to see Michael Moore's lastest "documentary" film SiCKO. I didn't hear much about this film until there was a controversy about Roger shooting parts of the film in Cuba, which cause him to be investigated by the US Treasury Department. Also, a master copy of the movie was stolen and place in the Internet a couple weeks before the scheduled release. This prompted conspiracy theorist to believe that this was done deliberately but the Bush administration. I don't know that, but any way you see it, it is a good film.

The film shows how the privatization of health care in the United States compares to (universal) national health care systems of countries like Canada, England, France and Cuba. After see how other industrialize nations treated their citizen in terms of health care, I walked out of the theater feeling disenchanted. Watch the trailer:


The film is humorous and informative, but it also has heartbreaking stories of health insurance battles people suffered through which in some cases lead to the death of a loved one. It's shocking.

I have been lucky enough in my life to have alway have some type of health insurance. I've had surgery twice to remove Chalazions from my eyes: once under general anesthetic and once under a local. My mother's insurance covered nearly all of costs.

The only time I haven't been covered was when I moved from Buffalo, NY to Dallas, TX and I was in the process of looking for work. When I became eligible for health insurance at my currently job, I went to a doctor to an annual check-up and was told that all of the procedures where covered (excluding a $20 co-pay). A couple of months later I received a bill for almost $400. I shocked because my friend had the same check-up that I did (same hospital, same doctor, same blood tests) and he was only charged his co-pay. This was a year and a half ago, but I am scared to go see another doctor because I am not sure how much will cost me.

I always thought that if anything serious happened to me I would be okay because I got health insurance. Now, I am not so sure. I am plotting a move to another country with national health coverage so I could have only less thing to worry about. Since gays can marry in Canada, I might end up there. As I type this, I feel the onset of a severe cold and I am taking Zicam to help lessen the symptoms. I hope I don't lose my sense of smell as a result.

Any (preferably gay) Canadians looking to get married? I need to see a doctor.

edited: because Michael Moore made this film, NOT Roger Moore. What the hell was I thinking about? Thanks for the correction, Anonymous ... if that's your real name.