The last few shows have been really tough ones to watch, haven't they? They were all worthwhile and informative, but heavy and frustrating to see through the cracks in our country's facade to its deeply troubled infrastructure.
Before I start spouting off, there were a couple assignments for me:
1. About Michael Moore, Oprah's guest today, "I think every American needs to see his eye-opening documentary about the health care industry. And the documentary is called Sicko." I've not yet seen the movie, so I'll add it to my Netflix cue today.
2. "Do you believe that the child of a gas station attendant/the child of an investment banker deserve the same healthcare. Go to Oprah.com and click on the question and tell us what you think." (This question is a no-brainer for me. Hell yeah. Every single child should have healthcare. No ifs, ands or buts. BUT - the link doesn't seem to be on Oprah's site anymore. Perhaps because this was a rerun? Oprah, don't toy with me when I'm trying to take your advice!)
I was amazed to learn that 50% of bankruptcies and homelessness are caused because people don't have health coverage. How did we have money to go to war without first taking care of our own citizens? I'm sickened over this. Again, this is a personal issue for me - I live in fear of a day I lose my health insurance. With my twisty spine, I can't imagine being without coverage. Being self-employed, it's a constant worry for me. I'm so lucky I can get coverage through my husband's terrific workplace (yes, the one where they wear t-shirts and John McEnroe-style sweatbands to the office while eating chickpea-laden cookies).
Also, was anyone in the Chicago area surprised to see a couple commercials for health insurance during Oprah show breaks? It seemed in poor taste to program that. I suppose that was the choice of the station, but give me a break. Did that happen in other regions? Let me know if you saw the same thing I did.
Besides Moore, and the incredibly knowledgeable and well spoken, Uwe Reinhardt, we met Karen Ignagni who is the head of American's Health Insurance Plans. At first I thought she was remaining calm and even-keeled even though she was put in the Bad-Guy Seat on the show today. Then I realized I was confusing poise with Botox. It took me about 5 minutes to grasp the fact that her face never budged. Brilliant strategy when you don't want to wear your heart on your sleeve. Because of the issue at hand - lack of healthcare and folks with terminal disease who can't afford basic medical assistance - I found her face insulting. She wears her ability to pay for elective treatment on her face while she turns down others' requests for coverage of their bone marrow transplants. Yes, yes, I realize this is a little overly sensitive on my part. I'm not denying it.
I'm so overwhelmed by the topic. I feel a little hopeless about it. Someone quick, shed some light on my dreary outlook!
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Yeah, what can I say? I'm Canadian and I like our health system just fine thank you very much. It's by no means perfect AT ALL, but I'll take it any day over what you've got going down there. I have a chronic illness and I have access to excellent services where I am, even in the boonies.
Sicko is a very worthwhile movie to watch. My review is here.
Oh my god, bump up Sicko to the top of your queue right now!!! Its is eye opening! My boyfriend and I want to move to France to have a baby!! Once you watch it you will to. I am so bummed I missed todays show, I wonder if I can find it on youtube?
Sicko is a WONDERFUL movie!!!! See it as soon as you can it's fantastic!
As for the other stuff, suffice to say I agree with you. If I allow myself to get into it my head might explode.
Yes, it took me a second to realize it was a rerun - I don't know if Oprah's people are reading your post but it was me who made a comment a few weeks ago saying she should do a show on the Healthcare crisis in America - and then I turned it on today and was like - WOW - she's listening to me and taking cues from her audience as to what interests us - yes, why did she run it now and run it as a rerun and there was no disclaimer of it being a rerun - and I too saw the health insurance ads - that's just health insurance and the station - but good job noticing that woman who was put on the hot seat had botox - yes, I was like she was trying SO hard to stay calm - and she was so angry you could tell - trying to tell everyone that the healthcare industry HAD to make a profit - well, duh, I mean yeah, they have to pay the doctors and staff - but not the way they're doing now with the insurance - I liked that guy who was saying we shouldn't call it "socialized" medicine - Overall - I think it was a good topic and political reminder about the issue to think about it when one casts there vote this election - which gets me off track but where does McCain stand on healthcare - and what is Obama's proposal - I was so disappointed Hillary didn't get the nomination she has been for healthcare all along - inspite of her taking money from some lobbyists - whatever - politics - yeah - I do say though it freaked me out to see that episode today - I wanted to thank Oprah - and I don't deign to think I'm so important that she would air it just to say - "I already did that, you just weren't watching" which would have been true - egg on my face!
Yes, moving to North Carolina from London UK was a complete healthcare culture shock.
I wouldn't say that the NHS is anywhere near perfect, but it's weird to suddenly find myself without that safety net that I've taken for granted my entire life.
I've purchased my own insurance when unemployed, and found it to be cheaper than the group plan i have now. I have high blood pressure, too, and basically they said I wouldn't be covered for treatment for that for three months, which was no biggie as my dr. gives me a three month prescription at a time.
Silvertacos, have your baby at home with a midwife. I had all three of my kids that way, and my first was a very difficult birth, and I received excellent care. My midwife was very well trained and conscientious. No need to go to France.
Basically, US medicine excels at emergency care and extending the lives of the old, but is really not very good if you are looking for wellness. I'm not sure that socialized medicine would be any better, since my Canadian niece was not adequately treated for her scoliosis under that system and still suffers from migraines as a result. I realize that's a limited example, but there are good things and bad things to every system.
You must see Michael Moore's SICKO. That movie single handedly put health care one the agenda during this election cycle . I trust Obama on health care especially since Michael Moore endorsed him, even during the Democratic primary. I think John McCain would be horrible on health care, since Republicans by definition want to keep government services to an absolute minimum.
I decided this year to stop paying for medical insurance when my premium was increased by $40 per month for my son and I, without explanation. It's a scary situation in some ways, but my deductible was so high that I was paying for what amounts to "critical care." I discovered too that if anything does happen with your health, you get rather saddled with the same insurance company because other insurance companies will insure you, but not for anything related to previous diagnoses. So what good are they?
I lived in the UK for 18 years, and had more than adequate care with the National Health Service, and have also heard that the French and Canadians have really good systems too.
I guess US insurance companies give too much to campaigns for politicians, hence why we won't have a similar system, until another way is found.
My only consolation is that I know that I am not alone, that a number of people who can afford insurance are declining it ... not because we want to ruin ourselves financially but because we do not wish to continue to support a gangrenous set up between medical and insurance establishments.
Regarding birth and midwifery, I'd like to recommend the documentary film "The Business of Being Born," which discusses different methods of giving birth (hospital, midwife + hospital, at home, etc.).
I've never had a child, but if/when I do, there is no way in hell you will find me in a hospital unless there are complications.
Health care in America is scary. The situtation is definitely overwhelming and out of control. I think we could all share horror stories, but for now, we should focus on telling elected and soon to be elected officials how much this issue means to us, volunteering for appropriate groups in our communities, and being sympathetic to those in need (who often find themselves ignored and overlooked).
I'm horrified by the botox lady, but appreciate her willingess to appear on the show at all (would you in her position?).
The commercial that plays most often during Oprah in the DC area is one for Kentucky Fried Chicken. The second most popular commercial is about an allergy center, but the number of times it's shown pales in comparison to the horrible KFC ad.
I live in Michigan and we end up with a lot of Canadians coming here to get health care. I'm not saying our health care system is the best, but even the alternatives have their problems.
There's no magic band-aid that's going to fix everything. In addition, compare the population numbers:
Canada: 33,390,141
UK: 60,776,238
France: 64,473,140
US: 301,139,947
It might take just a LITTLE more work to figure out a system that will cover that sized population. I'm okay with not just winging it.
Dear LO - Here's some sunshine. It sounds like you take excellent care of your body and emotions. You have a support system. You're working with a net. These are good things. Don't take them for granted.
And if your husband ever considers changing jobs, do a hard-eyed assessment on your back surgery.Another insurance carrier may not do it based on refusing pre-existing conditions. Oops, there's that dark cloud again. Sorry!
NPR had a series not too long ago where they compared our healthcare system with that in several European countries, including Holland, Germany and France. It was eye-opening and depressing (if you live in the U.S. that is).
WOWOWOW! you guys have gotten me so excited to see Sicko. it's at the top of my queue. i'm nervous to watch it for some reason - i think because of the direness i know i'll be viewing.
i was in england in 1992 and i had an accident during a performance and my face was mashed up - my bottom teeth went thru my bottom lip and i was bleeding like a stuck fish. first surprise: it's impossible to get ice in london. second surprise: i bled for 2 hour in the emergency room before i could be triaged and seen (i guess there were a lot of folks in front of me in line). third surprise: when i was seen and taken care of without being asked for a dime. even as a foreigner. it was awesome. the health care, once i received it, was terrific. i felt so lucky because i was a poor student and didn't have a cent to my name and was terrified that i'd be forced to pay. i was so impressed.
of course, no one has a perfect system - i do believe America's health care infrastructure is busted, but i also believe that anything can be propagandized to look better or worse than it actually is. i think we really think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, but frankly, i don't believe anyone has it "right" yet - there's always improvement to be made.
that being said, i do believe in universal health care. and if i had my druthers about me, i would prefer to pay taxes to insure everyone could get health care, rather than have my tax dollars go to war.
i do think we all are going to have to start taking really great care of ourselves and take as much control of our own health as possible. at least that's one component we can be responsible for while we hope the politicians we elect will serve our best interest rather than their own.
xoLO
I saw that episode last fall while I was at my parents' house, taking care of my diabetic dad (who was in the late stages of kidney failure, waiting to get seen by a specialist, which is near impossible without insurance). He can't get insurance because he can't work. He can't get disability because...well, we still don't know the answer to that question, and it takes at least a month to get social security to set up medicaid. He was a year too young for medicare at the time.
So, after a few weeks of being sent from government office to government office, we just took him to the emergency room. They can't deny you medical care, and he spent two weeks in the hospital, getting dialysis, while the caseworkers set up his medicaid.
Now my parents owe some obscene amount of money in medical bills. My mother works, but it would cost half of her take-home pay to cover his premiums, assuming her insurance would provide my dad with coverage, given his pre-existing condition.
The stories on that episode infuriated me. Those were stories of people who had insurance! I get angry that my father worked (and paid taxes!) for 50+ years and he can't get medical coverage.
Blah, rant over.
anon, i really appreciate you sharing that story and it made me so sad. doesn't it feel like your hands are tied? it's got to be so frustrating to watch your parents going through this.
do you think that a show like oprah did on health care or the michael moore movie, Sicko, can do anything to change the current state of affairs?
thanks so much for your comment, LO
Sicko is half good and half bugus. Moore's sojourne in Cuba was staged by that country's government, and the clinics he saw are those reserved for top officials and hard-currency foreigners. Please, please, do a little more reading than just this blog post.
I'm in nursing school right now, and previously spent 2 years registering patients in a Level I Trauma Center. This includes collecting insurance info (or lack there of). It's an issue I'm pretty passionate about. As an undergrad, I majored in Econ, so I have some pretty specific opinions on what is economically most efficient, but as that topic is long and obviously politically charged.....I'm here to say - make SURE you really look into the claims Moore makes in his movie, and consider reading some of the reviews and analysis of the movie. I felt there were a great many misrepresentations in the movie. It actually made me pretty angry.
Remember our good friend Kurt Loder from MTV news back in "the day?"
Well, he wrote this, and it's pretty good:
http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1563758/story.jhtml
I have to say that as a mother and a wife (and a Canadian) I am so very proud of our health care services. My son has many chronic conditions and we would be homeless by now with out it. As well, the care he has received has been world class. I am shocked that the over 300 million US citizens stand for this and have not put enough pressure on your goverment to solve this issue.
I have to say that as a mother and a wife (and a Canadian) I am so very proud of our health care services. My son has many chronic conditions and we would be homeless by now with out it. As well, the care he has received has been world class. I am shocked that the over 300 million US citizens stand for this and have not put enough pressure on your government to solve this issue.
i stopped watching her show when she got the poor little kids to give their allowances to help provide homes for homeless people.she says she works hard for her money,please does she look like she suffers. no-one should have so much money or be worshipped like a god. how can anyone brag about helping people when her monies come from tv because of the people acting like she walks on water.
I work for a TV station in Canada, so it might not be the same thing but... Here the weekly shows are sold as such. Client A comes in and buy 3 spots for the week of 8/25, usually several weeks in advance. They don't know what the subject of the show will be. That said, if it's a controversial subject the programming dept. should usually give the sales department a heads up and see if they want to move their spot to a different day. May be that in the case of reruns they don't pay as close attention. Don't worry the health insurance clients are probably just as pissed as you are that they aired there.
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Every child in America HAS access to healthcare. They just don't have it FREE. I don't mind paying to go to the dr. if it's going to cure me or make me feel better. I have minimal insurance for my family so if I want them to see the best dr. I do and then I PAY for it. We all have this ability.
If you are talking about FREE healthcare then you should say that. I'm so sick of people saying they don't have any health care. Maybe you don't have any INSURANCE but everyone has equal access to CARE.
I also have to PAY for my minimal insurance, quite a bit actually, and it doesn't cover anything under my deductible which is $5250.00.
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