At the same time, there are reasons to question many of these claims. It has long been argued that the Canadian system is not as good as believed, for instance, though the film suggests otherwise. The truth about the Canadian and British systems in particular is unclear because of contrasting claims, and a more through investigation of the economics involved is required to be sure that what is said in the film is correct. This is true of the French system as well, though that system is not as well-known in the United States and does not feature in as many discussions of the issue. Moore meets with a group of Americans living in France, and while they seem to be clear about why they like the French system, an while it might seem that Moore just met them and asked them questions, what is not as clear is if that is the case or of they were selected for their views. Moore finds almost no one who says anything other than that the U.S. system is out of whack and that some of these other systems are better. This documentary does not present an ongoing conversation about health care but a one-sided complaint about that system. Without hearing from the other side, the viewer is left with only one vision of the truth and no way to be sure that truth has not been shaped unfairly.
This is also an issue with the trip to Cuba.
Moore travels by boat with a group of 9-11 caregivers who are ailing and in need of medical attention, attention the system has denied them.
Choosing that particular group clearly weights the argument in favor of giving them all the medical help they need. Moore uses a bullhorn to ask that they be given the same have a health plan that is everything the public wants and is denied by laws passed by that same Congress. This fact alone shows a major hypocrisy in the system, and the fact that prisoners are treated better than citizens is not to say that prisoners should be given less medical care but that citizens should be given more. Moore's action is very much a stunt, but it does highlight a deeper truth about how some are given preferential treatment that cannot mask the fact that most are denied much of the service they need.
There is reason to be less accepting of the next step taken by Moore as he takes these same people to Cuba to visit a hospital and to be treated in the way they would like to be treated in the United States. Clearly, they were treated better and were not denied any service. What is less certain is how normal that is for other patients. These visiting Americans were treated well, but was that because such treatment is the norm or because the Cubans wanted to present the best face to the outside world and so gave Moore the contrast he wanted? There is no way to be certain about this from the film. It appears that these patients are being given the normal treatment, as if they had just come in off the street, but it is just as apparent that everyone knows who they are so that their treatment might not be as normal as it appears. This is the kind of problem created when using such a stunt as a centerpiece in a documentary, because how patients are treated normally cannot be discerned from how the stunt develops. The film is suggestive on this score, but it is not definitive. Again, further research would be needed to prove that what is seen in the film is representative of the real situation.
Works Cited
Moore, Michael. Sicko. Lionsgate, 2007.
Psychology How Sicko is Relevant to Psychology Michael Moore is an American filmmaker that has created a body of work and a niche market for hard hitting documentaries about issues critical to American culture. In 2007, he directed, produced, wrote, and starred in a documentary called, Sicko, about the American healthcare system. Moore's films have a habit of polarizing audiences. Audiences have been known to strongly agree with him and known to
That the film makes omissions is not a fault against it, as it would be impossible and boring to list ever argument or component implied in the healthcare crisis. In addition, while some may believe Moore's film to point out the obvious, it addresses an issue that many do not want to think about. Question Two It is the job of reviewers to make a rhetorically persuasive case for their opinion
For example, one woman got into a car accident and expected insurance to pay for her expenses related to the accident, minus the deductible. The insurance company denied her claim on the spurious grounds that the woman had a "prior condition" that was unrelated to the accident. If private insurance companies are not fulfilling their obligations to consumers, then public insurance becomes the only solution in a free, just,
Capitalism: A Love Story Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story Michael Moore is an expert at tugging on viewer's heart strings, and never passes up an opportunity to do so in Capitalism: A Love Story -- even though the docu-tragi-comedy would have been better without so much bathos. Moore's main problem lies where it always does: with him focusing the camera on humanity's tragedies and milking them for all their worth. It
Admittedly, there have been some minor improvements since 2007. Specifically, legislation enacted in 2009 by President Barack Obama eliminated the ability of health insurance companies to exclude certain individuals from coverage and to deny coverage to beneficiaries in need of expensive healthcare services by simply canceling their policies. That legislation extended the maximum age that children may remain on their parents' policies as well. Unfortunately, the Obama administration essentially gave
Managed Care One issue that has received a great deal of attention in recent months during the healthcare debate is the role of health insurance companies. Managed care was originally intended to lower costs within the American healthcare system to prevent overconsumption of health services that were unnecessary or of unproven value. However, the overall costs of the American healthcare system have increased rather than decreased in recent years, despite the
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now