By Roger Friedman
Filmmaker Michael Moore's brilliant and uplifting new documentary, "Sicko," deals with the failings of the U.S. healthcare system, both real and perceived. But this time around, the controversial documentarian seems to be letting the subject matter do the talking, and in the process shows a new maturity.
Unlike many of his previous films ("Roger and Me," "Bowling for Columbine," "Fahrenheit 9-11"), "Sicko" works because in this one there are no confrontations. Moore smartly lets very articulate average Americans tell their personal horror stories at the hands of insurance companies. The film never talks down or baits the audience.
"This film is a call to action," Moore said at a press conference on Saturday. "It's also not a partisan film."
Indeed, in "Sicko," Moore criticizes both Democrats and Republicans for their inaction and in some cases their willingness to be bribed by pharmaceutical companies and insurance carriers.
In a key moment in the film, Moore takes a group of patients by boat to the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba because of its outstanding medical care. When they can't get into the U.S. naval base, Moore proceeds onto Havana where the patients are treated well and cheaply.
This has caused a great deal of controversy, with the federal government launching an investigation into the trip, which officials say was in violation of the trade and commerce embargo against the Communist country.
"This administration flaunts the law, flaunts the constitution," Moore said at the press conference, explaining the flap over the trip to Cuba.
Moore now claims the U.S. government says his Cuban footage may be illegal, and Moore said he made a second master copy of "Sicko" and had it shipped it to France immediately just in case of potential government issues.
Do you care about Health Insurance?
Here's what the Top 2008 Presidential Candidates think:
Senator Hillary Clinton
Priorities: Clinton wants universal health-care coverage by the end of her second term, but she has not yet offered a plan to achieve it. She realizes the importance of collaboration between employers, government and labor organizations in achieving success. Clinton hopes to expand health care for children through her Senate sponsorship of the Children’s Health First Act, which allows states to expand children’s health coverage to families through SCHIP and receive increased Federal payments. This legislation offers a new affordable coverage option for both families and employers by allowing them the opportunity to buy health insurance coverage through SCHIP.
How would she finance a plan?
She has not yet offered a specific proposal as to how to pay for a plan. The Children’s Health First Act would provide funding to states through a combination of federal incentives.
Senator John Edwards
Priorities: Edwards proposes a plan that would provide health care for all Americans while also making coverage more affordable for uninsured families and providing more options for families with insurance. Small businesses will also see more affordable options. Central to his plan are the following:
- Require businesses and other employers to either cover their employees or help finance their health insurance
- Make insurance affordable by creating new tax credits, expanding Medicaid and SCHIP, reforming insurance laws, and taking innovative steps to contain health care costs
- Create regional "Health Care Markets" to let every American share the bargaining power to purchase an affordable, high-quality health plan, increase choices among insurance plans, and cut costs for businesses offering insurance
- Require universal health care once the above items are enacted
- Offer new health insurance tax credits
- Expand Medicaid and SCHIP
- Require fair terms for health insurance
- Invest in preventive care
- Adopt electronic medical records and the local infrastructure needed to support them
Edwards claims that most of the projected $90 billion to $120 billion annual cost of his plan could be paid for by eliminating President Bush's tax cuts for households earning more than $200,000 and by increasing Internal Revenue Service efforts to collect unpaid capital gains taxes.
Senator Barack Obama
Priorities: Obama has not yet offered a specific plan, but hopes to provide universal coverage by 2012. Priorities include:
- Extension of coverage to children using the state of IL’s KidCare as a model
- Institution of hospital report cards to help consumers make informed decisions
- Promotion of medical information technology
- Elimination of health disparities
- Lower the cost of prescription drugs through price negotiation and generics
- Fighting HIV/AIDS through various tactics of preventing transmission of the virus
- Supporting and implementing health communities throughout the nation
- Highlighting the need to improve mental health care and treatment
- Fighting lead and mercury poisoning as well as ovarian cancer
- Promotion of genetic medicine
He has not yet offered a specific proposal as to how to pay for it, but some of his initiatives would offset the cost of their implementation through the effectiveness of their outcomes. For example, an estimate by the National Alliance on Mental Illness shows $100m in costs associated with untreated mental illness each year. By addressing this issue, these costs will be significantly reduced (reduction in prescription drug costs provides a similar example). Other initiatives point to grants as a source of funding.
Rudy Giuliani
Priorities: Giuliani has not yet offered a specific plan. However, he has spoken about health care and thinks that a single payer system is not an effective way to improve the nation’s health care system. Rather, he would promote a system based on private insurance, competition and the power of the markets.
How would he finance a plan?
He has not yet offered a specific proposal as to how he would pay for a plan.
Senator John McCain
Priorities: McCain has not proposed a specific plan. However, he does focus on the importance of health care for veterans. Throughout his career, McCain has worked to ensure that veterans receive the health coverage and care they need; he has sponsored legislation that would ensure that health care funding is distributed fairly and that eligible veterans in all regions of the country can equally access high quality health care. He has also consistently supported efforts to give military retirees tax breaks to help pay health insurance premiums, and he has opposed placing user fees on military retirees for using military medical facilities.
How would he finance a plan?
He has not yet offered a specific proposal as to how he would pay for a plan.
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