Agree with Michael Moore's "Sicko"?

[panop]

To those who haven't seen it, "Sicko" is Michael Moore offering his solution to the nation's health problems.

He essentially suggests that we should go with socialized, or government operated and funded, health care. This is similar to what Cuba, Sweden, and France already have.

Now, my personal opinion is that Michael Moore is an absolute idiot. If you ever travel to Cuba, the neighborhoods there look like they came out of the 50s. The "healthcare for all" part is absolute crap; only the rich and prosperous people get good healthcare. In Sweden, they have so small a population compared to the United States that socialized healthcare is indeed practical there. In France, the waitlists for medicine and doctors are so long that many people go to England to get their healthcare. Besides, the socialized system in France is all but bankrupt.

Now, I do agree with him that our current system is indeed extremely flawed, but the way he goes about his solution is almost just as flawed, if not worse. Our budget deficit is already high enough as it is, and inflation is going through the roof right now. Putting another burden that will be almost as big as Social Security is (which is another nightmare) on the government is impractical and just stupid.

But that's just my opinion. I'm sure the Democrats here would disagree with me, but that's just how it is.

Leave your thoughts here, and don't forget to vote!

Edit: I meant to throw in a poll here, but it didn't go through...

 

[Spartan Erik]

Your viewpoint is absolutely correct; I couldn't have said it better myself! Just to add to that though, a lot of places with free / socialized medicine and healthcare also have high taxes. Additionally, our country is a welfare state; we wouldn't be able to handle any form of socialized medicine; we can't even support social security for much longer!

 

[ryoko126]

From what I understand, Micheal Moore has never given an intelligent suggestion. Plus it could just be another way of making this nation more communist. We may think we are completely free, but they are thinking about making people wear tracking devices in their skin.

 

[cointoss]

I agree with what everyone is saying. However, if health care fell under the direction of the government, what your employer (or you) presently pays for insurance, plus what those of you who don't have insurance pay for health care would actually offset the increase in taxes. I mean, what you normally hand the doctor would go in your pocket. And since health insurance would no longer be an incentive to employees, employers would add what they are currently paying for health insurance premiums to wages (or some other perk.) I realize I take a liberal view on things, but I can't help but think of all the people who are dying because they cannot afford to get better... The stories of people having to decide between the medications they need and food are true.

The total population wouldn't affect the operation of the system. If there are 1,000 people or 1,000,000,000 the system works the same. What Moore is suggesting is the government create a program similar to the way INSURANCE works now. If the insurance company can collect everyone's premium and pay everyone's bills, then the government can certainly handle it. In fact, insurance companies actually make HEFTY profits... I cannot understand why everyone thinks it is financially impossible with all the thriving insurance companies.

I mean, in effect, all we are doing is dividing everyone's health care into an equal share and paying our part of that. Yes, we will have to cover the cost of people who are unable to pay for health care, but we are already doing this for the most part. I mean, the elderly and the poor are already receiving this benefit.

I just don't think it's fair that a guy can't afford health care, his daughter gets cancer, and he loses everything he has (including his daughter when the money runs out).

Although, I have to admit, our present system does produce great advancements in health. After all, new medicines and new medical technologies are driven by the sales of present medicines and treatments. So I guess I'm up in arms. I just feel there has to be a better way. I cannot believe that anyone believes that his fellow man has no right to equal health care or food. We all should have equal rights to life.

 

[panop]

cointoss, I have several questions for you:

1. If socialized medicine is implemented, what would the private insurance companies do? (I'm sure they won't just go out of business quietly)
2. Did you know that current programs like Medicare and Medicaid only pay doctors about 22 cents on the dollar and force doctors to write-off the remaining charges?
3. Have you ever noticed that the government is one of the most inefficient organizations that has ever existed? (excluding the military)

Question 3 means that even though our insurance premiums will instead go to the government through taxes., the government is incredibly inefficient with handling money. Besides, people really don't like paying higher taxes because, unlike Europe, people in America really don't trust the government.

I do agree with you that something needs to be done to stop that man's daughter's cancer, but at what cost? This may sound like a Malthus argument, but what about the family who could afford healthcare for their cancerous daughter on their own, but instead has to pay for the poorer family's daughter?

I guess this all goes back to the argument of what government should actually provide assistance for, which is opening up a whole other can of worms...

Finally, the population has EVERYTHING to do with the operation of the system. It affects the cost, the manpower necessary, and the efficiency of the program. Trust me, the government cannot possibly afford covering the healthcare for everyone without either increasing the already huge deficit (which would increase inflation), or without screwing over the doctors even more. You may imagine that the doctors could afford a cut in pay gives: about the doctors), but they really can't. Being a doctor is an extremely high overhead, low profit business, especially if said doctor accepts medicare and medicaid. The only reason why you see many doctors being rich is because they have many, MANY patients.

So, thank you cointoss, and I invite anyone else to respond to my ramble :hahano: with intelligent arguments.

 

[ryoko126]

Believe me, Cointoss, I know how you feel. My family is barely able to eat and I'm being turned down by "specialized" doctors, and I need to have a gall bladder surgery. And the reason I'm being turned away is because I'm on medicaid and the doctor wants full payment. So in the end, people like me still suffer.