Friday, June 19, 2009

Heaven Help Us (With Healthcare)

So, I am watching the movie "Sicko" by Michael Moore. I know that this man's name brings passionate feelings from all ends of the spectrum almost any time or place that one might bring it up. But I have just been through a few years of hell with medical coverage ... and I lost my very well-planned and early-begun retirement fund BEFORE having to file for Bankruptcy, Chapter 11 ... all due to health care in this country. And let me tell you, I am an American through and through, quite patriotic and always trying to learn about and serve my country. But if I were to judge my country on this healthcare "world," our system, our set-up ... I would say it's a Shit Hole from Hell. This was before I watched the movie.

Some random thoughts, from my recent experiences and also from the movie, in no particular order!! :

1. When you have a baby in France, a "nanny" from the government comes (not sure for how long this arrangement is) and helps you!!! Even though you get an immense amount of time off work too!!! This government employee will do your laundry and help cook, take care of the baby, whatever, so that, in the words of one lady, "I can do everything so that I can take care of the baby, the house, and my husband." What. The. Fuck.

2. There is a new program in London (unclear whether it is all over in England, but it is "federal," so maybe?)...Doctors get bonuses in pay when they "win" in their practice for getting the most patients with low blood pressure, the most patients to quit smoking, and other health-positive changes in their roster. So, even though many in OUR country would have you believe that a government-subsidized or even (gasp) socialized healthcare system is terrible and that the doctors would be forced to live in terrible areas and drive beaters if they had cars at all ... perhaps that isn't true.

3. I have never re-couped my losses (basically, not even a fraction) from the Bankruptcy-based-upon-medical-expenses. I am bitter about it, despite trying very, very hard to deal with my anger in constructive ways and NOT be a bitter woman. I know that anger and resentment and hopelessness accomplish no action. Nevertheless, the fact that I have been sick has kept me from getting proper NEW insurance, a BETTER job, even from having new doctors (but this one I just saw is an exception, hallelujah) take me seriously. Because I have a "pain condition," E.R. doctors and others regard me suspiciously. They "can never be sure" whether I'm just pretending to be sick (for TWELVE YEARS, with job loss and insurance loss and retirement fund loss????!!!) to get pain killers. Talk about "sicko."

4. I don't think I hate the French anymore. At least, not the ones outside of Paris. :) I heard one French woman say that the way they get things done, and the way they have accomplished all of this for themselves (the benefits at work, the government-issued nanny, the free hospitals) is that "here, the government is afraid of US ... in your country (the United States, of course), YOU are afraid of your government." ....Is there not some truth, or a LOT, in this?

Well, I'm still watching the movie, and I'm still plotting my actions for getting my life back to what I consider to be "normal" at the LEAST, but preferably SUCCESSFUL and HAPPY.

2 comments:

tomshideaway said...

My opinion on the French changed with that movie too...I think it was when I saw a House Call for a child that had the flu...I mean it makes so much more sense to go to the house then to bring someone with the flu out amongst other people and expose them to it ....DUH.. AWe have to do something in this country to say Healthcare shouldn't be For Profit!!

Big Al said...

England, Canada, and France seem way so much more civilized than us. The healthcare industry is way too powerful for any change in this country to socialized medicine as described in "Sicko." They are the number one campaign contributors to every stinking politico. Obama has reversed his postion on single payer and the Democratic senator chairing the hearings on health insurance reform was the number 3 recipient of contributions. Seems the deck is stacked. Watch Bill Moyer on PBS to find out how were being hosed.