Michael Moore’s Sicko has HMO’s scared

HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY TERRIFIED OF MICHAEL MOORE’S NEW FILM, SICKO

It is common knowledge that Michael Moore is one of the most polarizing filmmakers in history. After a three-year hiatus, Moore has set his sights on exposing the hypocrisy and unfairness he sees in America’s Health-care Industry. No stranger to controversy, Moore is in the process of picking a fight with America’s HMOs and insurers. “There’s no getting around the fact that people are dying in this country as a result of the decisions that get made by these health insurance companies” said Moore in a recent interview with Terry Moran of NBC’s Nightline.

After receiving a standing ovation for its debut at the Cannes Film Festival, Moore has been busy promoting his film all over television and the Internet. The film has provoked a massive level of debate within the health-care industry itself and the effect is being felt in a variety of different medical blogs.

A majority of heart-related blogs seem to be in favor of the film. The Antidote, a blog priding itself on offering counterspin in the healthcare industry, declared itself in full support of Moore’s documentary on the basis that it is a great way to get grassroots Americans caring about the healthcare, “raising the issues in a popular/populist format such as this is exactly the kind of exposure the topic needs to set the ball rolling.”

The Schwitzer News Health Blog, based out of the University of Minnesota, contained details of an investigation into the making of the film by the U.S Treasury Department. The blog offered a brief explanation of what the investigation is all about, “it involves Moore’s team taking some sick Sept. 11 rescue workers to Cuba for one segment in the film.” They also quote Moore, from a letter posted on his website, rejecting the investigation and using it as a testament to just how frightened the health care establishment is over this film, “they have threatened their employees if they talk to me. They have set up special internal crises lines should I show up at their headquarters. Employees have been warned about the consequences of participating in Sicko.”

Kevin M.D, a respected blog by a leading physician, quoted the president of the American Medical Association, Dr. William Plested; commenting on Moore’s film, “anything—including a film—that can bring this issue into the public eye is good for the debate. So, I’m cheering on Michael Moore, even though I haven’t seen the film.”

Judging from his past record Kevin M.D is not a personal fan of Moore’s work and does not plan to see the film. His post declares Moore and Plested to be “strange bedfellows.”He also provides a link to an anti-Moore blog post by columnist Rich Tucker.

Tucker ends his post by stating, “these documentaries aim to frighten us, when there’s really nothing to fear. If we want to reform health care, we should harness the free market, not lash everyone into a government-run system.”

Whether Kevin M.D and Rich Tucker represent the majority of the American public remains to be seen. In an era of “anything-goes” health care, people have learned that their government is not necessarily looking out for their best interests. Because of this fact, many concerned Americans have turned towards the world of preventative care and digital monitoring. One of the best ways to lower the average Americans dependency on the health care system is to monitor one’s health so that potential medical emergencies can be predicted and avoided.