you’re a sicko
I watched Michael Moore’s SiCKO last night. Living in Canada, I’d never understood the whole pay for service bit. And The US Healthcare Insurance business was confusing as well. A few friends of mine moved to the States after University and I’d always thought that if you move to the US, you’re fine as long as you get health insurance. I’d previously contemplated moving to the US and figured as long as I worked with a large enough company, they’d arrange for health insurance as part of the work benefits package. After watching Sicko, it appears it’s not that easy. Health insurance doesn’t appear to always cover all of your bills, and if there’s a loophole to get out of paying it, you’re stuck with the bill yourself. I’m sure the movie showed select cases and it’s not as bad as Michael Moore portrays. But it’s likely close enough and that scares me.
The movie makes me appreciate the Canadian health care system much more now. It’s never been something I’ve ever had to think about. When we were on a recent cruise ship, I wasn’t feeling well and went to see the medical doctor. At the office, I was presented with a menu of charges. It was such a foreign concept to me. Talking to a doctor was $100. Some stitches was $150. A broken leg another few hundred. If you had a serious medical illness, you’d definitely be in for some huge bills.
What amazed me even more was learning about the British and French health care systems. They’re even better than Canada’s. If you have a baby in France, you can have a person show up at your house to do laundry, cook some meals and clean up for a few hours each week. Daycare is $1/hour. I know a lot of people that pay a good chunk of their salary for the first few years of daycare. France even has a 24-hour doctor service that does house calls for minor illness. Very impressive.
If you’re an American, leave some comments… Is the health system as bad as Michael Moore makes it seem? Would you want government paid health care for everyone if it cost you extra in taxes? And what the heck is a HMO? I hear that term all the time and we don’t have these in Canada.