I saw this on TV, regarding medical care in the US, verses Cuba's.

It ran on Showtime-W this morning but, watch for it called "Sicko" , very well worth your time.
Michael Moore.com

Sicko - Movie (2007) | LocateTV

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I know Michael Moore´s "Sicko". What you can see about the healthcare systems in Canada, UK or in France is nothing special in western europe, we all have systems of universal healthcare insurances. I can´t imagine how a situation would be when i would need a doctor and can´t afford him.
The sad part of that movie is what has happen to the 9/11 rescue workers and helpers. They deserve more than they got.

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Michael Moore had the world premier of his movie here
in London Canada.
As an outside observer hope that President Obama can
fix the American health care system for those who don't
have any or who go broke trying to pay their hospital bills.

The cost of medical care, in the US, is sky high because some people are making big bucks off of it. Doctor's, Insurance Companies, etc. Sure, they complain about how much they pay out, but they never talk about how much they take in. They seem to have plenty of money left over, to buy off our congressmen (and those don't come cheap). Then, there is the money spent on scare tactics: " Public Health is Socialism!"; "The government will be deciding whether you live or die!", etc.

Who do you think is paying for those expensive ads? Yep! You got it: the AMA and insurance industry. I think that it's time to be calling our congressment, right now, and reminding them who votes to keep them in office. It sure isn't their big money sponsers who vote for them. It is all of the little guys who have been duped by those expensive ads.

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Cowards are cruel, but the brave love mercy.

I love what the one lady said, I believe it was a lady in Cuba, "taking care of "all" the people makes a healthy country". So true .....

I was took back, when in a Cuban hospital he asked' "Why do you have a cashiers window if no one pays for their health care"?
Money only goes out the window to them, to reinburse expenses of getting to the hospital and back. !!!!

All they wanted to treat folks for medical, was their name and birthdate !!! Think what we go thru even with insurance here to be admitted???

My husband back in 2000, work and paid tax's all his life was considered a good citizen (if that should matter) he had just lost his insur coverage due to being high risk or pay out the you know what, and that would still not cover pre existing.
Well, he had the nerve to have a heart attack with no insur, they took him into the hospital with a ambulance charge of 3,000, on reaching the hospital they told of the situation, he needed heart surgery,they then sent him home to die, no insurance or 500,000 up front......

Well, I signed to pay for it, he fought to live but, died. Total bill was 500,000 plus the two ambulance charges to boot.

I know this country is like in the 30's in comparison to other countries, on heath care for the people, yet we pay the highest prices atthe same time.
I do not know the answer, because if we got duped, and many Gov officials were getting money to boot out of pharmacutical and the medical how the heck would we trust them to run our health care system???
Now with all the bail outs they already own to much and to much control !!!!

I love America and time to take it back.....

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@peanut2, i believe the cashier window was in a NHS hospital in London. But nevertheless is an universal healthcare system an issue what no western european want to miss, it gives you a feeling of safety when you will get treatment if needed and when you don´t have to care about the costs.

America is here often described as "the country with unlimited possibilities", it might be right. What is the sense when i could (theoratically) easy become a millionaire but when i stay a mid-class citizen and would not be able to afford medical treatment if i would need it ? It seems the unlimited possibilities are limited.

Those healthcare systems are pretty expensive, that´s true, but they have nothing to do with socialism. Most of those who use such words don´t know what socialism really is, this is a small difference to me.

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Andrea's I see and hear the good side, but there has to be a down side to taking care of all and being free, nothing in life is really free.

Could You explain some?

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The principle of the universal healthcare system is that the healthy ones pay for the sick ones with their monthly dues. Also those citizens who get monthly social welfare, pay for the same reason, better said the solidary community does it. Will give you an example: at the moment i pay nearly 450 Euros per month to the health insurance, it´s a lot money. To deny that payment or to play tricky games to reduce the monthly due is an offense (here). That´s the "unfree" side. At the moment i´m healthy but it is in the nature of things that it will change when i will become older. It doesn´t change anything that i wouldn´t have to care about the costs when i would have to go into a hospital for some weeks. The next healthy one pays it.

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I forgot to mention that the health insurance companies here are observed by several authorities. They try to reduce the costs whenever possible, but they are limited what they can do and what not. 96% of their services are default by law.

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Our system here is so complex, it would take years to turn it into what other countrys have. It would entail lose of jobs which is not good either for one.

We can write off on our tax's medical expenses which is a joke, it takes paying 75% of your yearly income to medical issues. Then one only gets back or a tax credit of 5 dollars per hundred paid which is nothing at all.

Maybe simple answers to the system we have would work here.

Let the insurnace companies, med/pharmacutical duke it out on fees and prices with the Gov..

Meanwhile provide at ease medical/medications to all citizens. Whatever insur rate each citizen can pay goes to the insur company's ( a set %) fair percentage. then the Gov and them can figure out how much the Gov pays. Let the powers battle out any loses.
Not leaving their own people hurting and dying while they figure it out. !!!

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