Review of Michael Moore's "Sicko"

June 15, 2007

The release of Michael Moore's latest documentary film, "Sicko," comes at a time when progressive ideas are invigorating a much needed debate about the future of the United States healthcare industry. Healthcare expenditures now exceed $2 trillion annually — a record high in the United States — and many economists anticipate those costs to double by 2015.

The subject of Michael Moore's documentary is the extraordinary burden these soaring costs have placed upon many Americans, with particular emphasis on the health problems faced by survivors of the tragic 9/11 incident. Michael Moore interviews a number of Manhattan residents near Ground Zero who reported respiratory problems or other ailments as a result of the devastating attack. Many of them reported having expensive medical bills that they haven't been able to pay; others reported being limited in their preventative treatment options, leaving them at risk for potentially irreversible long-term conditions.

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The Michael Moore Solution to Healthcare

A vocal ambassador for populist causes, Michael Moore makes some poignant criticisms of the current model of healthcare in the United States and offers some alternative visions for its future. One of his major objections to the current system is the privatized health care model, in which he sees a major conflict between profit and public welfare. To make a symbollic point about how these competing motivations afflict the quality and availability of medical services to people with limited budgets, Mr. Moore takes his ill interviewees on a trip to Cuba.

Having been denied necessary medical attention in the United States due to insufficient health care coverage, Mr. Moore's companions first try to appeal to authorities at the Guantanamo Bay facility, where it is rumored that enemy detainees receive "outstanding" free health coverage. Representatives of the detention camp are quick to deny Mr. Moore or his ailing companions any access to these facilities.

They then travel to Havana, where Cuban doctors are pleased to offer their services for a pittance.

Progressive Solutions for the Problems Facing US Healthcare

Mr. Moore makes a powerful point by defiantly outsourcing urgent health services from the United States, the wealthiest domestic economy in the world, to a socialist country with far fewer resources at its disposal. Clearly, the need for reform could not be more direly illustrated than by the plight of Americans who have to leave their home country to see a doctor.

Politicians, patients, and doctors alike are clamoring to find a solution for this problem, and delineating a number of plans that should tame the rising costs of medical services and prescription drugs in the United States. A number of these plans have already been implemented, but many Americans remain unaware of the benefits that these progressive policies could offer them.

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Health Savings Accounts: New Prescription for Healthcare's Ills

The idea of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) arose in 2003, when an economic recession resulted in many employers reducing health benefits for their employees, and many thousands of people losing their employer-based health plans altogether. One of the first "consumer driven" health care plans, HSAs work in conjunction with a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) offered by many health insurers, and collect benefits in an account similar to an IRA.

When you sign up for an HDHP, the higher annual deductible is counterbalanced by the much lower premiums you pay annually versus alternative "traditional" plans offered by HMOs and PPOs. This has two primary benefits compared to HMOs and PPOs:

• In the event of a catastrophic health emergency, the benefits of your HDHP would kick in as soon as you meet the minimum deductible
• Because HDHPs have fewer restrictions on out-of-network providers and thereby enable patients to shop wisely for a doctor who can accommodate their needs and budgets, HDHPs give doctors and healthcare providers a strong incentive to lower prices for consumers

The 2003 addition of the auxiliary Health Savings Account is an integral component in the progressive "consumer driven" healthcare policies. For qualifying applicants, HSAs are a complimentary addition to your HDHP, and enable you to make tax-free deposits and withdrawals for medical expenses. The unused benefits you receive as part of your HDHP accumulate in your HSA, are portable when you leave your place of employment, and can be withdrawn at any time to pay for medications, doctors visits, surgery, and many other approved medical services.

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What Impact Will Michael Moore's "Sicko" Have on Healthcare?

By alerting public attention to the nearly 50 million Americans without insurance, and millions more who are underinsured because they can't afford sufficient health coverage, Michael Moore's "Sicko" will hopefully invite politicians, healthcare professionals, and every one of us renew our attention to the long-standing debate on how to provide affordable health coverage.

The solution to the spectacular costs and inefficiencies of medical care in the United States will involve equal cooperation between the insurance industry, healthcare practitioners, and government-sponsored Medicaid programs to ensure that no one will be left without essential care when they have a health emergency. But until a long-term solution can be found, having an affordable insurance plan that will cover both preventative and urgent care is essential. In today's health care system, uninsured and underinsured patients face some large hurdles when it comes to preserving their health and well-being, including:

• Receiving less preventative care, dramatically increasing risk for developing advanced-stage disease
• Risking being turned away by hospitals unless able to pay the full cost of procedures up front, unless there is a life-threatening emergency
• Having higher rates of mortality than people with comprehensive health insurance policies

By requesting a quote to see if your current insurance policy is competitive with alternative policies that may be available to you, or to research your options for health insurance if you are uninsured, you can reduce your risk of being without coverage when you need it.

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