'Sicko' slant irksome even in Canada

By SALLY C. PIPES
The Providence Journal
Monday, July 30, 2007

In his new movie "Sicko," Michael Moore uses a clip of my appearance earlier this year on "The O'Reilly Factor" to introduce a segment on the glories of Canadian health care. Moore adores the Canadian system. I do not.

I am a new American, but I grew up and worked for many years in Canada. And I know the health-care system of my native country much more intimately than Moore. There's a good reason why my former countrymen with the money to do so either use the services of a booming industry of illegal private clinics, or come to America to take advantage of the health care that Moore denounces.

Government-run health care in Canada inevitably devolves into a dehumanizing system of triage, where the weak and the elderly are hastened to their fates by actuarial calculation. Having fought the Canadian health-care bureaucracy on behalf of my ailing mother just two years ago -- she was too old, and too sick, to merit the highest-quality care in the government's eyes -- I can honestly say that Moore's preferred health-care system is something I wouldn't wish on him.

In 1999, my uncle was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. If he'd lived in America, the miracle drug Rituxan might have saved him. But Rituxan wasn't approved for use in Canada, and he lost his battle with cancer.

But don't take my word for it: Even the Toronto Star agrees that Moore's endorsement of Canadian health care is overwrought and factually challenged. And the Star is considered a left-wing newspaper, even by Canadian standards.

Just last month, the Star's Peter Howell reported from the Cannes Film Festival that Moore became irate when Canadian reporters challenged his portrayal of their national health-care system. "You Canadians! You used to be so funny!" exclaimed an exasperated Moore. "You gave us all our best comedians. When did you turn so dark?"

Moore further claimed that the infamously long waiting lists in Canada are merely a reflection of the fact that Canadians have a longer life expectancy than Americans, and that the sterling system is swamped by too many Canadians who live too long.

Canada's media know better. In 2006, the average wait time from seeing a primary-care doctor to getting treatment by a specialist was over four months. Out of a population of 32 million, there are about 3.2 million Canadians trying to get a primary-care doctor. Today, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Canada ranks 24th out of 28 countries in doctors per thousand people.

Unfortunately, Moore is more concerned with promoting an anti-free-market agenda than getting his facts straight. "The problem," said Moore recently, "isn't just (the insurance companies), or the Hospital Corporation and the Frist family -- it's the system! They can't make a profit unless they deny care! Unless they deny claims! Our laws state very clearly that they have a legal fiduciary responsibility to maximize profits for the shareholders ... the only way they can turn the big profit is to not pay out the money, to not provide the care!"

Profit, according to Moore, has no place in health care -- period.

Moore ignores the fact that 85 percent of hospital beds in the United States are in nonprofit hospitals, and almost half of us with private plans get our insurance from nonprofit providers. Moreover, Kaiser Permanente, which Moore demonizes, is also a nonprofit.

What's really amazing is that even the intended beneficiaries of Moore's propagandizing don't support his claims. The Supreme Court of Canada declared in June 2005 that the government health-care monopoly in Quebec is a violation of basic human rights.

Moore put me, fleetingly, into "Sicko" as an example of an American who doesn't understand the Canadian health-care system. He couldn't be more wrong. I've personally endured the creeping disaster of Canadian health care. Unlike him, I'm willing to tell the truth about it.

(Sally C. Pipes is the president and CEO of the Pacific Research Institute. She is the author of "Miracle Cure: How to Solve America's Health Care Crisis and Why Canada Isn't the Answer.")

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

Sicko article

Ok, so maybe Moore's facts on Canada are wrong. I'm not here to argue that one way or the other. What I am here to say is that I believe that health should be a natural born human right, Like water, like breathing air. I donb't care if youa re homelsss and never worked a day in your life or if you are rich enough to buy the best care. Moore is right in that socialized medicine is viewed in the U.S. as a form of communisim, or something that is not the governments responsibility. I believe that notion is wrong. And here is the truth, that if you were homeless and had no health care and had a health problem, you would want health care access. The facts are that our system costs too much. We have to wait a long time to get seen, and our system is not the most efficient. If I had the choice between no health care, or some health care that's perhaps not the most efficient, I'd take the inefficient care. Anything less, to me, seems to be a crime against humanity.

"right" to health care

You're confusing 'negative' and 'positive' rights. You do NOT have a right to health care and I'll clearly explain why by example: In the U.S. we have something called the Bill of Rights, and the first one is the right to Freedom of Speech. That means the government can't restrict your speech (except under very specific circumstances, and there's always the "yelling fire in a crowded theater" exception.) What it does NOT mean is that you have a right to a printing press, a radio station, or and auditorium and an audience. Your right to free speech places no claim on others, except that they cannot interfere in your rights to life, liberty and to pursue happiness. When you say you have a RIGHT to health care, it's a whole different story. If you need health care and can't pay for it, you place a claim on others to provide it for you: taxpayers, nurses, doctors, etc. That's the difference. The reality is, you don't have any claim on my life. And the even better news? I don't have a claim on yours.

I completely agree. Whenever

I completely agree. Whenever these right wing idiots hear universal healthcare they start screaming socialism and panicking. To me, universal healthcare should be among the top priorities of a government, if not the highest. If a government can't even take care of its "citizens" health, wth is it there for? I just underwent breast cancer surgery, and the prices were comically high. If you have cancer, and you're not loaded, good luck. Governments were created to protect people, not to use people for shady agendas.

Christian Louboutin

It is named Christian Louboutin for the reason that man who create Christian Louboutin shoes. At the same time, it's helpful to reduce the risk of injury for the player. If you think your feet should be protected well during the strenuous exercise, the Christian Louboutin Pumps are the right choice for you.
There are many Cheap Christian Louboutin Heels from our shop. If you want to learn more informations of those Christian Louboutin Boots, please visite our website www.louboutinshopsale.com. Are you looking for a comfortable shoes? We are ready for you to give you great discount Christian Louboutin Sandals and best service.

UGG Boots

If you are looking for a pair of pretty UGG Boots, you shouldn't miss this chance for purchasing UGG Classic Cardy Boots this season in our shop. Ugg Bailey Button would give people such a deep impression. UGG Classic Short Boots appreciate it not only by the high quality with steady innovations but also by its stylish designs. There is no doubt that it could go well with you casual outfits. There are many kinds of UGG Classic Tall Boots for different ages and tastes online. So pick up your own UGG Sandals now.

Supra Shoes

With the high-tech Supra Shoes technology and unique colorways design, it can make you more special in the crowd. Now you can choose whatever you like on our Supra Footwear shop. Supra Skytop, the colorway of shoes is just right, which can stimulate your passion for sport availably. Those great quality but Supra TK Society are waiting for you right now. There will always be one pair of shoes appropriated for you on our Supra Sneakers store.

http://www.23airjordans.com/nike-jordan-packages-c-101.html

In most organizations, air jordans jordan shoes Six Sigma implementations jordans for sale are no longer jordan shoes for sale limited to just a few processes; nike jordan packages they are air jordan 1 now carried air jordan 2 out across all the functional air jordan 3 departments that might air jordan 4 be there air jordan v in an organization air jordan vi including sales, air jordan 7 air jordan 8 finance, production air jordan 9 and jordan shoes 10 inventory. The aim is air jordan 11 to improve the overall efficiency air jordan 12 air jordan 13 of the organization air jordan 14 rather than air jordan 15 just focusing on air jordan xvi a single product or process. air jordan 23 As such, the conventional role played by Black Belts is constantly being redefined to include new dimensions such as managerial skills and the ability to get things done within the specified time and costs.

Chanel | Shop for Chanel

Chanel | Shop for Chanel chanel bags
Chanel handbags,cheap chanel chanel
Chanel bags popular first chanel handbags

Cheap Gucci Handbags And Discount Gucci gucci
Omega (omega watches) List Constellation Series
\\\\\\\\\\\
Breitling select breitling watches over 10000 models
Louis Vuitton handbags top quality louis vuitton handbags
Luggage,louis vuitton luggage
Wallet,louis vuitton wallet
lv lv LV brand lv louis vuitton lv
louis vuitton discount discount louis vuitton
discount louis vuitton shoes louis vuitton shoes
luxury louis vuitton louis vuitton bags

- iwc - iwc watches - oris- oris watches -

luxury fashion fendi of fendi
Shop the latest miu miu

Sicko article

Ok, so maybe Moore's facts on Canada are wrong. I'm not here to argue that one way or the other. What I am here to say is that I believe that health should be a natural born human right, Like water, like breathing air. I donb't care if youa re homelsss and never worked a day in your life or if you are rich enough to buy the best care. Moore is right in that socialized medicine is viewed in the U.S. as a form of communisim, or something that is not the governments responsibility. I believe that notion is wrong. And here is the truth, that if you were homeless and had no health care and had a health problem, you would want health care access. The facts are that our system costs too much. We have to wait a long time to get seen, and our system is not the most efficient. If I had the choice between no health care, or some health care that's perhaps not the most efficient, I'd take the inefficient care. Anything less, to me, seems to be a crime against humanity.

Canada Health Care

Sorry about your mother. However, millions of people die each year in the U.S., because the American health care system failed to save their lives. I am sure there are thousands of stories which are much worst then yours. Anecdotal evidence has no place in a debate. The truth is more Canadian's like their health care system then American's (http://dll.umaine.edu/ble/U.S.%20HCweb.pdf) and they spend half as much! Also, wait times are not as bad as people make them out to be. ( http://www.healthservices.gov.bc.ca/waitlist/ ). If a Canadian doesn't want to wait, he is free to travel to the U.S. or any other Country.

I grew up and Canada, but

I grew up and Canada, but now I live in the USA. Neither system of healthcare is perfect. However, for all the flaws that there may be in the Canadian system, it is still far better for everyone to be able to get care when they need it. Denials of care based on a companies bottom dollar in my eyes is dispicable. People have died because companies didn't want to have their profits affected. People have died because the claims person wanted to get a bonus from their denial rate. How would you like to have a loved ones life put in jeopardy because someone wanted to get a bigger bonus so they could spend their next vacation on a caribbean island? Lastly, go to any bankruptcy court hearings and notice that 70% of the people filing for bankruptcy are doing so because of medical expenses. No the canadian system is not perfect, but it sure beats the for profit healthcare system that is going on in the USA.

Hey - guess who sponsors

Hey - guess who sponsors this woman's think tank!

Pfizer. Lily. And PhRma!

Shocking that she would feel this way, isn't it?

Moore A Great Muckraker and “Sicko” Great Theater

Take out a classified ad in an American publication and ask people to contact you if they have experienced any problems or challenges with their health insurance company or with receiving healthcare in their community. That’s what Michael Moore did, and to his amazement he received thousands of responses. Some of the most egregious of these responses became the basis of Mssr. Moore’s documedy “Sicko”.

Everyone involved in healthcare or the selling of health insurance or interested in improving the quality of healthcare in the United States needs to see the movie or at least be familiar with one major point the documedy makes: Sh*t Happens! - And some of it quite deplorable and unconscionable.

What Michael Moore did NOT do was take out a classified ad in Canada or England or France or some other country with “nationalized” healthcare to ask people to contact him if they had experienced any problems or challenges with receiving healthcare in their community. Email, as I have, your friends, family and business associates in the UK, Austria or Canada and you will hear "horror stories" as well. Their healthcare systems are far from the panaceas Moore attempts to paint.

Yes, “Sicko” is convincing in showing the viewer that the delivery of healthcare in the United States can be at times inequitable, unaffordable, unattainable, and downright ludicrous, but Moore misses the mark in providing evidence that a universal “nationalized” plan would “get it right” or is even necessary. It doesn't resolve the "shortage" of healthcare professionals in the U.S. Nor does it resolve the rising costs of healthcare. Health insurance - whether issued by the private or public sector - is expensive because the delivery of healthcare is expensive, and costs continue to rise as technology/R & D increases, for instance.

What IS necessary though are reforms - commitments by the American people to provide uninsured children programs, high risk insurance pools, catastrophic healthcare billing "stop gaps", as well as education on the "costs" associated with poor health and wellness lifestyle decisions. We also need to discuss unlinking health insurance from an "employer" relationship, providing true "portability" of health plans by adopting nationally standardized insurance plans, and introducing reasonable "guaranteed issue" individual plans. Most Americans (at least those with health insurance) still value "choice" in the selection of their healthcare benefits.

Private and public partnerships are needed to tackle our healthcare issues, yet each "solution" has the potential to add to the costs borne by the consumer via the private market or the taxpayer via government programs. If "Sicko" in its simplistic approach did nothing, it showed there has got to be, as Bill McKay, the Robert Redford character in “The Candidate”, expounded repeatedly, “A Better Way.” What better time to find a better way, than now.

still have my house

Ms. Pipes carefully ignores that not one single Canadian has ever lost their home due to their health care bills. Contrast that with the largest cause of personal bankruptcy in the US being health care bills. How many American families are living in their cars, or on the street, because they lost their jobs and homes due to massive health care bills? Canada may not have the final answer, but they are certainly doing some things very right.

Candian Healthcare

They may still have their house, but they will not be alive to live in it. Women with breast cancer are two time more likely to die than in the U.S.
The US government can't even run the medicare program.

Consider the number of

Consider the number of people in sales, marketing, lobbying, insurance, and advertising that stand between you and your doctor's care and prescriptions. Each of them take a cut, increasing costs astronomically. Single payer socialized insurance and research funding makes sense when paired with optional additional insurance for those who want and can afford it.

Too mucy rhetoric, not enough critical thought

I just don't understand some of the rhetoric being used in this debate. For proponents of the single-payer Canadian-like system: There's no doubting that coverage is tremendous and that its ability to guarantee health care to those unable to pay is an absolutely critical and necessary feature. But there's also no doubting that access is a problem and that bureacracy and waiting times undoes many of the positives of the system. For proponents of the US system: There's no doubt that it's the most flexible in treating the most severe illnesses and that it keeps decision-making in the patients and families hands, but there's also no doubt that far, far too many people are left out in the cold without coverage, and that any of the care that is given is far too expensive.

Why don't both sides of the debate admit that the best way to proceed is to study what works, what doesn't, then attempt to implement what works well and guard against the pitfalls? How do you get coverage and avoid the terrible waits? How do you leave control of what treatments to pursue in families and their doctor's hands and still provide coverage for a family, even if they're poor and lack resources to pay? Why can't people treat this like a healthcare issue and drop the constant reiteration of political points? Calling healthcare an absolute right doesn't change the fact that poor implementation of a government system will deny care to segments of the population, and calling government systems communist or nanny-ist doesn't change the fact that much intervention has already taken place, and will continue to take place, and isn't necessarily of itself contrary to competition or efficiency?

Instead of replicating mistakes by adopting systems wholesale or maintaining the status quo, why don't people try to synthesize a new system that isn't Canadian, European, or American, take the best of each system, and find ways to make it all work together? And to identify the weaknesses of each system and try do design them out, or at least safeguard against them? I swear, all I ever see anywhere are talking points on this debate trying to push one system over another, as if those are the only choices. They're not.

Socialism

Forcing someone else to pay for my healthcare is tantamount to slavery. I don't have a right to someone else's labor. What we need is less government. The american system is highly regulated and controlled by the government. So let's not mince words. We are not comparing a government run healthcare system with one run by the market. We are comparing a government run healthcare system with one that is mostly run by the government. Let's be explicit about what we are talking about.

Yeah, it's a dog eat dog

Yeah, it's a dog eat dog world and let the devil take the hindmost. Remind me next time you're crossing the street and you don't see that car coming that I should pull you back.

Yeah, it's a dog eat dog

Yeah, it's a dog eat dog world and let the devil take the hindmost. Remind me next time you're crossing the street and you don't see that car coming that I should pull you back.

dog eat dog?

No one is stopping you from donating your money to charities that provide healthcare. I believe gov't does more harm then good when it gets involved in healthcare.

dog eat dog?

Are those are only options? We either have socialized medicine or everybody is sick and dies. That seems to be your contention. I believe healthcare is too important to be put in the government hands. Should gov't control the distribution of food as well? That seems to be more important then healthcare.

Bushie lies

A typical Bushie trick to present false choices. The gov't already controls distribution of food via massive subsidies to agri-business. The well-being of Americans is too important to be left in the hands of private companies whose only goal is to maximize profits by denying coverage. Bushies say they support the family, but when the family loses their home and their kids drop out of school because they're living on the street because they couldn't pay their health care bills Bushies call them welfare queens. Americans are tired of Republican tricks and lies that benefit only the haves and the have mores - as Bushie likes to call his base. Your greed has undone you. Next election, you Republicans are going down hard!

This sounds pretty serious,

This sounds pretty serious, and I thought only US has health care administrative problems. I recently learned that term life insurance quotes get to be more valuable once health care problems get deeper.

Greetings, I enjoy your blog.

Greetings, I enjoy your blog. This is a nice site and I wanted to post a note to let you know, good job! Thanks
haimingnaxiaoxiao 10 08
Juicy Couture Tracksuit
Omega Watches
Omega Seamaster
Omega Speedmaster
Omega Wristwatches
Juicy Couture Bags
Juicy Couture Bracelet
juicy couture purse
Omega Seamaster Watches
Omega Speedmaster Watches
Omega Constellation
juicy couture charms
Juicy Couture Shoes
Juicy Couture Diaper Bag
Juicy Couture Necklace
Omega De Ville
Omega Aqua Terra
Seamaster Planet Ocean
Juicy Couture Jewelry
Juicy Couture Sunglasses
Juicy Couture Watches
Juicy Couture Swimwear
Juicy Couture Wallet
Omega GMT Watches
Omega Dynamic
Juicy Couture Dresses
Juicy Couture Earrings

A cellphone has become an

A cellphone has become an integral portion of our lives at the moment. No matter whether it genuinely would be the adolescent in school or the iphone 4 leather case in his workplace, everyone requires a moveable communication substitute. With each of the need for any product or service increasing manifold,it goes without stating how the provide raises, as also the amount of choices that one particular specific has even although getting the product or service. There are many varieties and varieties of cellphones that you just can get hold of right away – be it the marketing centric cell, and even the PDA or even the econo-model that is certainly undoubtedly supplied by most mobile corporations. Listed here are some solutions to go on to hold in brain even however obtaining a cell phone:

Know Your Calls for:

A cell phone has the electrical power to fulfill various calls for, but you may need to also acknowledge which of these needs are a precedence. You will certainly have the ability to either use your I68 4G as being a press participant whilst you are transferring about,iPhone 4 Case or an Internet connecting item when you are traveling, and also a standard digital digital camera, aside inside straightforward use of sending and receiving calls.

Naturally, acquiring a cell phone that's an excellent digital camera,iPhone 4 Car charger an amazing media gamer as well as a very good net merchandise would charge really a packet. For that reason, you should make confident how the characteristics in the cell phone are truly anything at all which you just have to have and nearly anything that you simply just may very well be using.

Know Your Lifesytle:

There are many cellphones available for a lot of lifestyles. For illustration,iPhone 4 charger when you come about to get unquestionably among men and women which have a rugged life type, you are going to do adequately to produce a conclusion having a sweet styled mobile cellphone, mainly since it has the tendency to stand an excellent deal of put on and tear.

Also, when you happen to get an individual who travels inside a bike or even sits shotgun with a motorbike, you can come throughout a swivel or probably a clamshell mobile cell phone rather clumsy to put into action. Then however again,iPhone 4 screen protector some of us do not have the slim and gentle fingers like other people have. For males and females like them, a mild contact cell cellphone might be really difficult to carry out.

Know Your Budgets:

The finances is fundamentally one of the most critical element even nevertheless getting anything, be it a cellular phone or maybe a fountain pen. There are many cellphones obtainable inside marketplace site at several value ranges. The selling price ranges within the Airphone NO.four rely for the characteristics, companies and simple excellent excellent inside the hardware that you just just are buying. You are going to ought to prioritize the characteristics and firms you’ll call for.

Minimal price wholesale cellular devices are unquestionably one of many top opportunities should you happen to be looking for very good cellular or transportable mobile handsets.

fee

JULIstone is a China Stone Manufacturer which supply Granite Tile,Paving Stone, Granite Paving, Polished Granite ,may be you can choose something.

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.