Sicko

So while the world is all a flutter wondering when Chris Brown is gonna give a statement or when we'll see pics of Rihanna and her split lip and bite marks, I just watched the Michael Moore documentary Sicko. First of all, I'm late as hell cuz this movie came out in 2007 and second of all this clearly don't have nothing to do with what is going on right now BUT this movie depressed me and pissed me off. So let's pretend Rihanna was just a regula schmegula girl who got beat up by her boyfriend. If she didn't have insurance, no doctor would sew her up, give her medication or even give her ice to put on her busted forehead. Even if she did have insurance, she is still going to have to pay an Emergency Rooom visit fee as well as co-pays for her medication and any extra fees not covered by her insurance. Big deal, right? Who cares, right? Well after watchin Sicko I care a whole damn lot. I mean I knew all along that other countries had universal health care but watchin it play out in this movie just sickened me. Health care is FREE is France, Great Britain, Canada and THIRD WORLD COUNTRY CUBA!!!!!!! These people can just walk into any ER or have a doctor make a home visit and the shit is FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When they have babies they are given 6 months off, there are no such things as "sick days", prescriptions are like $10 no matter what the drug is (in Cuba an asthma inhaler that one of the 9/11 volunteers pays $120 for is 5 cents. YES five fuckin cents! I won't even go into how this country hasn't even helped the people who are now chronically ill after volunteering to work at the 9/11 site.) and the quality of care is first class. There was story after story of how people in America die because they can't afford health care or because their insurance companies find ways to deny their claims. They hire people whose main job is to search for pre-exisiting health issues or something that was left out on a form or ANYTHING that can be a reason to the deny the claim. The more claims that are denied the more money these people make. The people in government who support these HMOs and the CEOs are all billionaires, while people who sometimes need simple procedures that cost $500 die because they can't afford it. On the other hand, in London, the more care the doctors give and the longer their patients live, stop smoking, take preventative measures, the more money they are paid. And all of these people live longer than Americans. And it isn't just health care. They go to college for free, they have free child care, AND vacations are at minimum 5 weeks. They want their people to be rested and happy because they know that makes them better employees. I just don't have a clue how come we haven't revolted and taken over the government. The reason these other countries have these basic human rights is because they aren't scared of their government. It is the reverse. Their governments are scared of the people. They don't want any drama. And yeah, Cuba isn't perfect and every country has its issues but when it comes to something like having the right to live or not watching your daughter die because the hospital didn't accept her insurance and refused to work on her...it is just beyond awful. Insurance companies exist to make money, not to help us. How is it that people with money can determine who is allowed to receive care and who can't? WHY is this country run by the people with the haves and they make it so that the have-nots will never have. It is more than sad. I am so confused as to how it is that America so fuckin great. Anyway, last night I watched President Barack Obama's first prime time press conference (seriously that reporter ask him what he thought about A-Rod and his steriods??!!) and I just pray that he is truly able to implement the changes needed to stop the bullshit and the suffering. I know he can't change everything because our government is corrupt and that will be the case no matter who is president. But seriously....let me figure out away out this bitch. I'm out. Sorry for being so depressing. This is just how my mood is fittin today.