Sicko Case Analysis
Most hospitals are for-profit corporations, as are insurance and drug companies. Nothing wrong with that in most companies, but when it comes to health care is that moral? Is it time to nationalize all aspects of health care and place the patients first? Is good health care a right? Should we focus on preventing diseases and ill health, rather than fixing them later (this is a LOT cheaper to do).
Go beyond the film, Sicko, to examine life expectancies in countries that have universal health care and compare that with our own life expectancies. What other yardsticks are useful for comparison? Infant mortality?
Write a reflective essay of at least 750 words. Essays should have an introduction, body, and conclusion. Be sure to give sources …show more content…
in some fashion for any quotations or ideas you use other than your own.
In Michael Moore’s documentary Sicko, he focused on the for-profit, non-universal health care system in the US and compared it to the non-profit universal health care systems of other countries such as: Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Cuba, and Norway. Throughout the movie, Michael Moore investigated into the (supposed) negative aspects of public health care and came away with surprising realizations that people covered by universal health care were healthy and happy, if not better off, with it. Although it would take many years and a lot of effort to make universal health care possible in the US, I think that good health care is a right and that it is not only sad that we are the only “wealthy, industrialized nation that does not provide health care to all its citizens” but also immoral that we allow the exploitation of the health and lives of our own people for profit (HealthPAC).
After World War II, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, many countries implemented a public health care system that recognized Article 25’s right to health. The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action states “All human rights are universal, indivisible, and interdependent and interrelated. The international community must treat human rights globally in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing, and with the same emphasis” (AmnestyUSA). However, the United States did not ratify the social and economic rights sections, including Article 25. This already is an indication of something wrong about not having a universal health care system. The United States signed this document expressing rights to which all people are inherently entitled, but did not ratify, sanction, support, or encourage the right to health for its citizens. Why? For profit. When did health become an industry, a business that is based off of supply and demand? There will always be illness, disease, complications, births, and deaths. Our health and lives are the foundation of our being, because without it we cannot do anything else. Even in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, our physiological well-being and security of safety, health, and morals is within our most basic and fundamental needs. The lack of good health care for all citizens destroys their ability to enjoy life without fear of becoming ill or hurt. We already have socialized police and fire departments which prevent and protect us from ourselves or the environment, why can’t we also socialize healthcare to protect/treat us from naturally occurring illness, disease, and suffering?
I understand that Americans value our free market society, but I don’t think that healthcare should have any part in a profit-driven industry.
During our discussions in class, I was saddened to hear about doctors prescribing medicines that may or may not be necessary, because of sponsorship by pharmaceutical companies. Even sadder was the moment in Sicko when a man who had lost two of his fingertips was given the price of replacing them, and could only afford to replace the cheaper. Because of naturally occurring illnesses and diseases, or circumstances beyond control, many people find themselves in health situations that they cannot afford within our current health care system. This is the most saddening of all. We are one of the wealthiest and developed nations in the world yet we do not want to take care of our own people. We have the ability to provide healthcare for everyone, but we don’t because we would rather distribute healthcare by social classes – the best healthcare for the rich, and none for the poor. I believe that letting those who cannot afford good healthcare remain ill or die is immoral. The health insurance companies that deny people with pre-existing conditions or search for anything to deny insurance are immoral. The doctors who do not treat patients without health insurance are immoral and unethical. The Hippocratic Oath, which all physicians and healthcare professionals take, demands that they never do harm, and serve humanity whenever needed; they treat sick human beings and not a cancerous growth or fever chart (or loss/gain of profit), whose illness may affect the person’s family and economic stability. As physicians, it is part of their responsibility to include those related
problems.
During research on life expectancies in countries with and without some form of public health insurance, I found that those without had lower life expectancies than those with. Even Cuba beat out United States in the life expectancy data over the last eight years. To make it “fair” I tried to compare countries (without public healthcare) that were also above the GDP with those that did have healthcare. Even then, the countries with public healthcare had higher life expectancies than those without (Google Life Expectancy). Although this data does not imply causation, there seems to be a correlation between life expectancy and public health care.
Before this class, watching Sicko, and discussing the morals and aspects of universal healthcare, I really did not know or think about healthcare at all. My entire family has health insurance and we have never had any problems with getting good healthcare. However, now that I realize that I am actually one of the “privileged” ones, I feel guilty that others do not have the same security, no, RIGHTS that I do. Since watching Sicko I’ve asked family members and friends about what they think about universal healthcare and have found that all have answered favorably (although always with an added, “as long as it’s done right”). I hope that in the future, universal healthcare will be available to all, and not only in the US.
References
“Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Questions and Answers.” Amnesty Universal USA. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. <http://www.amnestyusa.org/pdfs/escr_qa.pdf>.
“Life Expectancy.” Google Public Data. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. <http://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=d5bncppjof8f9_&met_y=sp_dyn_le00_in&idim=country:USA&dl=en&hl=en&q=life+expectancy#!ctype=l&strail=false&bcs=d&nselm=h&met_y=sp_dyn_le00_in&scale_y=lin&ind_y=false&rdim=region&idim=country:USA:CAN:GBR:FRA:CUB:NOR:EGY:KAZ:AUS:LBY&ifdim=region&hl=en&dl=en>.
"Universal Health Care." HealthPAC Online. Web. 29 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.healthpaconline.net/universal-health-care.htm>.
Go beyond the film, Sicko, to examine life expectancies in countries that have universal health care and compare that with our own life expectancies. What other yardsticks are useful for comparison? Infant mortality?
Write a reflective essay of at least 750 words. Essays should have an introduction, body, and conclusion. Be sure to give sources …show more content…
in some fashion for any quotations or ideas you use other than your own.
In Michael Moore’s documentary Sicko, he focused on the for-profit, non-universal health care system in the US and compared it to the non-profit universal health care systems of other countries such as: Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Cuba, and Norway. Throughout the movie, Michael Moore investigated into the (supposed) negative aspects of public health care and came away with surprising realizations that people covered by universal health care were healthy and happy, if not better off, with it. Although it would take many years and a lot of effort to make universal health care possible in the US, I think that good health care is a right and that it is not only sad that we are the only “wealthy, industrialized nation that does not provide health care to all its citizens” but also immoral that we allow the exploitation of the health and lives of our own people for profit (HealthPAC).
After World War II, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, many countries implemented a public health care system that recognized Article 25’s right to health. The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action states “All human rights are universal, indivisible, and interdependent and interrelated. The international community must treat human rights globally in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing, and with the same emphasis” (AmnestyUSA). However, the United States did not ratify the social and economic rights sections, including Article 25. This already is an indication of something wrong about not having a universal health care system. The United States signed this document expressing rights to which all people are inherently entitled, but did not ratify, sanction, support, or encourage the right to health for its citizens. Why? For profit. When did health become an industry, a business that is based off of supply and demand? There will always be illness, disease, complications, births, and deaths. Our health and lives are the foundation of our being, because without it we cannot do anything else. Even in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, our physiological well-being and security of safety, health, and morals is within our most basic and fundamental needs. The lack of good health care for all citizens destroys their ability to enjoy life without fear of becoming ill or hurt. We already have socialized police and fire departments which prevent and protect us from ourselves or the environment, why can’t we also socialize healthcare to protect/treat us from naturally occurring illness, disease, and suffering?
I understand that Americans value our free market society, but I don’t think that healthcare should have any part in a profit-driven industry.
During our discussions in class, I was saddened to hear about doctors prescribing medicines that may or may not be necessary, because of sponsorship by pharmaceutical companies. Even sadder was the moment in Sicko when a man who had lost two of his fingertips was given the price of replacing them, and could only afford to replace the cheaper. Because of naturally occurring illnesses and diseases, or circumstances beyond control, many people find themselves in health situations that they cannot afford within our current health care system. This is the most saddening of all. We are one of the wealthiest and developed nations in the world yet we do not want to take care of our own people. We have the ability to provide healthcare for everyone, but we don’t because we would rather distribute healthcare by social classes – the best healthcare for the rich, and none for the poor. I believe that letting those who cannot afford good healthcare remain ill or die is immoral. The health insurance companies that deny people with pre-existing conditions or search for anything to deny insurance are immoral. The doctors who do not treat patients without health insurance are immoral and unethical. The Hippocratic Oath, which all physicians and healthcare professionals take, demands that they never do harm, and serve humanity whenever needed; they treat sick human beings and not a cancerous growth or fever chart (or loss/gain of profit), whose illness may affect the person’s family and economic stability. As physicians, it is part of their responsibility to include those related
problems.
During research on life expectancies in countries with and without some form of public health insurance, I found that those without had lower life expectancies than those with. Even Cuba beat out United States in the life expectancy data over the last eight years. To make it “fair” I tried to compare countries (without public healthcare) that were also above the GDP with those that did have healthcare. Even then, the countries with public healthcare had higher life expectancies than those without (Google Life Expectancy). Although this data does not imply causation, there seems to be a correlation between life expectancy and public health care.
Before this class, watching Sicko, and discussing the morals and aspects of universal healthcare, I really did not know or think about healthcare at all. My entire family has health insurance and we have never had any problems with getting good healthcare. However, now that I realize that I am actually one of the “privileged” ones, I feel guilty that others do not have the same security, no, RIGHTS that I do. Since watching Sicko I’ve asked family members and friends about what they think about universal healthcare and have found that all have answered favorably (although always with an added, “as long as it’s done right”). I hope that in the future, universal healthcare will be available to all, and not only in the US.
References
“Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Questions and Answers.” Amnesty Universal USA. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. <http://www.amnestyusa.org/pdfs/escr_qa.pdf>.
“Life Expectancy.” Google Public Data. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. <http://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=d5bncppjof8f9_&met_y=sp_dyn_le00_in&idim=country:USA&dl=en&hl=en&q=life+expectancy#!ctype=l&strail=false&bcs=d&nselm=h&met_y=sp_dyn_le00_in&scale_y=lin&ind_y=false&rdim=region&idim=country:USA:CAN:GBR:FRA:CUB:NOR:EGY:KAZ:AUS:LBY&ifdim=region&hl=en&dl=en>.
"Universal Health Care." HealthPAC Online. Web. 29 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.healthpaconline.net/universal-health-care.htm>.