Healthcare terrorism

Economist’s View

Paul Krugman:

What outrages people who see “Sicko” is the sheer cruelty and injustice of the American health care system — sick people who can’t pay their hospital bills literally dumped on the sidewalk, a child who dies because an emergency room that isn’t a participant in her mother’s health plan won’t treat her, hard-working Americans driven into humiliating poverty by medical bills.

“Sicko” is a powerful call to action — but … defenders of the status quo …[are] very good at fending off reform by finding new ways to scare us.

These scare tactics have often included over-the-top claims about the dangers of government insurance. “Sicko” plays part of a recording Ronald Reagan once made for the American Medical Association, warning that …. the program now known as Medicare … would lead to totalitarianism…

Mainly, though, the big-money interests with a stake in the present system want you to believe that universal health care would lead to a crushing tax burden and lousy medical care.

Now, every wealthy country except the United States already has some form of universal care. Citizens … pay extra taxes as a result — but they make up for that through savings on insurance premiums and out-of-pocket medical costs. The overall cost of health care … is much lower…

Meanwhile, every available indicator says that in terms of quality, access to needed care and health outcomes, the U.S. health care system does worse, not better, than other advanced countries. …

All of which raises the question Mr. Moore asks at the beginning of “Sicko”: who are we?

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Also see Michael Moore’s excellent takedown of the shameless Wolf Blitzer on Corrupt News Network here. The lack of a decent healthcare system in this country is destroying lives, families, careers, and many, many businesses.

Are we going to solve this problem, or continue to let the existing business interests lie to us, and the Republicans tell us we can’t take care of people because it is “socialist”?

Anyone who has watched a loved one suffer in our health care system knows what the right answer HAS to be. How many more have to suffer and die for business profits in this country? Why should a heathcare CEO make millions while millions suffer and die needlessly?

Healthcare in this country kills far more people than terrorism.

Let’s wake up.