Friday, June 29, 2007

Michael Moores New Film "SICKO"


Those that have medical insurance and are living the American Dream are the ones that need to watch this film.

I was waiting for this film and the wait was worth it. I have to give Moore a great big thumbs up for this film. Yes, you will hear the good and the bad with this film, but lets stick to the facts. People are dying!

We need more people to wake up to the fact that to many people are going bankrupt, and losing everything they have ever worked for because of our so called "peace of mind payments" each week/month. Those that have worked all their lives, raised multiple children, put them through college and its time for them to retire. They get sick, and lose everything due to medical deductibles. Is this fair? Multiple heart attacks and cancer with medical insurance that the deductibles and copays caused them to go bankrupt. Is this right? They had to say goodbye to their family home because of medical bills. Is that the American Dream?

The film starts off with a man that had an accident with a table saw. Sadly he sawed off the tips of his two fingers and he didn't have insurance. He was told his middle finger tip would cost $60,000.00 or reattach the ring finger for $12,000.00. How is one finger more then the other? I would like to think that they could have put both fingers on for under $20,000.00? Sadly this story ends with the middle finger going into the garbage!

What about the TV Commercials that state
"Everyone American deserves insurance/medical care"
Yeah right.


Then we have those men over 75 yrs old that worked all their lives, but yet still cannot afford to retire because they cannot afford their overpriced medications. Medications that are freely priced by the drug companies because our governments give them the right to set their own prices. Could you imagine being in pain and having to pay $215.00 for pain killers!!!

Medications that are over prescribed and a patient believes it is something they need to stay healthy when it isn't always true. They believe their Dr's and spend all their monthly income on a prescription(s). What has happened to the "Golden Years" these people worked hard and saved up for all their lives?

Here is one story that shocked me. A young woman was in a car collision that knocks her out. An ambulance arrives, and takes her to the Emergency room. She is now home, and her mail comes. She opens her mail to find a bill stating that they will not cover her ambulance ride due to the fact that she did NOT get prior approval to have this emergency ride. How could she get approval when she was out cold? She could not fight this issue anymore as the insurance company would not work with her. This is one of the biggest medical coverage Corps in the world that did and still continues to do this. Will she have to hire a lawyer and pay even more? What a shame!

To Fat? To Skinny? You're DENIED!
You can and will be denied medical coverage if you are overweight or underweight. Example a man that is 6 ft tall at 130 pounds he is TO THIN. A woman had a BMI to high for a woman at the height 5' 1" tall at 175lbs. DENIED. Neither one of those people were over 50 yrs old. My opinion is they were under 25 yrs old.
Are they saying that if my child was ten years old and weighed 120 lbs they cannot insure her? What is wrong with this?

You Must Fight!
A father explains that his very young daughter is going deaf and the health insurance company Cigna would only cover one implant for one ear only. They said it was experimental to have two implants. How can it be experimental if it works for one ear? I am very proud that this father contacted Cigna and asked them if they know of Michael Moore and if they (Cigna) have ever been in a documentary before (LOL).
It was amazing what that letter accomplished. This time the father did get a reply via phone by a head honcho at Cigna, and the message stated that Cigna has overturned their denial decision and will allow both implants. Hmmm strange indeed. Do you think they were afraid of Moores documentary?

The Evil Behind The Insurance Companies Walls
Have you ever worked or currently work within the medical insurance industry? Do you you know the evil things that are going on behind the scenes. Let's talk about the call centers for a moment. These call centers already know the medical conditions that will get you denied while they are taking your application. These workers are supplied with a very long list of medical conditions which would wrap around a house. This list contains conditions that will get you denied. These workers cannot tell the callers that they will not get approved or denied, when they already know they will be denied simply because they have the list right there in front of them. This puts a lot of these workers under major stress. I know I could not handle a job like that simply because its mean. To hear the hope in these peoples voices that they will finally get medical insurance, and knowing all along that they will be denied. What a horrible situation to be in.


You pay into your medical and you get the care to find out your diagnoses. Insurance companies will deny IV drugs even if thats the only type of medication/treatment you need. Tumors of the brain are considered NON life threatening.

Uterine cancer of a 22 yr old was denied treatment because she was to young to get cancer. That woman eventually died due to the cancer spreading to her brain. SHAME ON YOU MR INSURANCE COMPANY!

Medical Dr's that review medical requests naturally never really see these forms and never sign the denial letters. These cases are supposed to be reviewed by a medical professional. How can this be if they are not even signing these denial letters. They have a secretary that uses a stamp! Medical reviewers are trained to save the company money so denial, denial and more denials is the way to the bank for them. They get a bonus if they can get a hospice case denied!!! It is a savings to the company!!

The intent is to maximize profits.
If they cannot weed you out during the denial process they use a hit-man to get the companies money back. He looks for slip-ups on your application or within your medical records for the last five years. If they find out you had a fingernail removed and you didn't disclose it they will make you pay them back.

One situation BCBS approved one womans operation, and of course she had her operation. This woman went on with her life so happy she had her operation until one day the mailman delivered her a bill! This woman slipped through the cracks and got surgery that they did NOT want her to have. So they send out their hired team of investigators to help get their money back. They went through this womans medical records and could not really find any hard evidence, but they did find something. They found this woman once had a yeast infection, and according to them she refused to list it on her application so they built their case around the fact that she has LIED to them. With this incredible new evidence they now will file a lawsuit so that she must pay back all of the costs of that surgery and more. This is crazy because you only have to disclose major/serious conditions. A yeast infection is NOT a major condition. However, but because the Medical insurance group was going to have to spend money they didn't mean to spend they went after this womans big bad lethal yeast infection (stunned.) This is America?

A very sad case is of a 35 yr old man that needed a bone marrow transplant. The insurance co said it was experimental and they denied it. They family did try to fight, but the man died a few months later while the family battled the insurance companies.

Your Life Is In The Wrong Hands!

A former medical reviewer went to a managed health care quality standards meeting and she made a public confession. In a very upset tone, but firm she stated that in the spring of 1997 she denied a man a necessary operation which would have saved his life. She denied this man as she was instructed to do as it would save the company $500,000.00, and with her doing this it would assure her title and give her a six figure income. Her choice to testify was due to the pain of quilt. BRAVO to her for coming out, but shame on her for doing it in the first place!!

9-11 Heroes Are Left To Die!

Moore tells us how three terrorists living on American soil at a Guatemala prison have the best medical facility there is to offer, and their care is free. Moore loads up three boats and head over to Guatemala Bay to seek free medical help for these American heroes. Of course they are not invited in, and Moore has to take these sick heroes to Cuba. Would you believe these heroes received a warm welcome and were giving the best medical care that Cuba had to offer them for FREE! One hero needs to have a certain lung medication due to complications from 9-11, and here in the states she must pay $120.00 for this one medication every month. Over in Cuba she only had to pay 5 cents. What is wrong here? I am so upset as to how Cuba can have a better medical system then the richest country in the world? Please, if anyone can help us Americans ... will you?

This film goes on about the National Health Service (NHS) that is available to all citizens of Canada, England, and France. It shows Americans that the horrors you hear of the NHS is very small to the truth. The truth being a National Health Service for all Americans could save lives, and help prevent medical bill bankruptcy.

Get (not give) Money From A Hospital Cashier Window!
Did you know that if you are in a hospital in England and you see a "Cashier" sign, it is not meant for paying your hospital bills. That is a window you visit to GET CASH! Yes, they will pay you back for your transportation costs. This is available to those that have a limited income, but still where do you see that in the USA? Amazing isn't it!

Update: Michael Moore's views on copies of his new movie

4 comments:

stefford prawn said...

My dear, you are posting a lot of statements with no corroborative evidence at all. fair enough to state your opinions, you are entitled to them, but others who read your blog pass on the wildest information without any evidence.

For example: Uterine cancer of a 22 yr old was denied treatment because she was to young to get cancer. That woman eventually died due to the cancer spreading to her brain. SHAME ON YOU MR INSURANCE COMPANY!

What person? Which company? When? Where?

Einstien never made the bee /end of world statement that anyone has ever documented.

best wishes!

Michele said...

My opinion are now FACTS. Let me ask you Mr Stefford Prawn, how much do you pay a week for medical insurance? I do not know about you but I've paid over $500.00 a WEEK for years. I've gotten it down to $400 a week now. Let me ask you Mr Stefford Prawn, can you afford to go to the Doctor while you pay that amount each week.... I sure can't. Let me ask you this Mr Stefford Prawn, did you even watch the movie? One more thing Mr Stefford Prawn, I would like you to meet a few people I know that were DENIED treatment because of the type of cancer they had and their treatment was considered EXPERIMENTAL ... oh wait let me tell you this Mr Stefford Prawn... THEY ARE DEAD NOW so you can't meet them. Oh, one more thing Mr. Stefford Prawn, it was up on a national movie screen you dumb ass and you act as if I make the claim myself. Keep living in your wonderful life you have there with your excellent medical insurance, and claims. I know people that received the treatments that saved lives... Why are some allowed and other not allowed. I will tell you why Mr Stefford Prawn... to save the insurance companies money... that is why!

Oh, wait that was already shown on live cspan TV at a US gov hearing! Shame on you for not knowing more facts!


"People With Lupus Denied Health Insurance Due To Pre-Existing Condition May Be Able To Obtain Coverage Through Health Care Reform Law Plan" medicalnewstoday.com


"Insurance Won't Pay NorCal Mom's Cancer Treatment---Will your insurance company pay for the treatment your doctors recommend? They may not. That's what a single mother from Chico said she found out.

In late April, Shelly Andrews-Buta was scheduled to undergo treatment for breast cancer that had spread to her brain, threatening her life.

The experience has been emotionally devastating. "I have two beautiful children, you know, I'm a single mom, they need me to be around," Andrews-Buta told CBS 5 Investigates.

But instead of having doctors working to remove her brain tumors on the day the surgery was scheduled, she sat in a San Francisco hotel room. Why? Because at the last minute, her insurance company, Blue Shield, decided it wasn't going to pay for the treatment her doctors at UCSF Medical Center had recommended." cbs5.com (CHANNEL FIVE NEWS)

"Insurer Denies Life-Prolonging Treatment To Five-Year-Old Boy With Cancer-- One of the worst abuses of private insurance companies is the practice of using spurious reasons to deny claims for medical treatments, which are often necessary for saving patients’ lives.

Kyler Van Nocker’s story shows that even 5-year-old kids are not exempt from this insurance company abuse. Van Nocker has neuroblastoma, which is a very rare form of childhood cancer that targets the nervous system and creates tumors throughout the body." thinkprogress.org


" Health Insurance Casualty of the Day: Nick Colombo - Placentia, CA - 09/02/08

17-year-old Fights for Cancer Care from His Insurer-- "Our insurance company, PacifiCare, denied my brother Nick approval to go to Kansas City for a special treatment of radiation for his cancer (this could save his life). Nick has suffered with cancer for four years of his life, and he has exhausted every avenue to get better, but nothing worked. This is our last effort and this procedure has worked before with people in Nick's situation," said Ricky Colombo, Nick's older brother, of Placentia, Calif.
Read more casualties" guaranteedhealthcare.org


I am guessing they are liars too? Look I guess you missed the admission in supreme court that this IS going on and people are being denied to SAVE medical insurance companies millions!!! Keep living with your blindfold on because you seem to be so sure that nobody can be denied treatment for cancer because they were to young. Its already a fact, you're just late for the bus dude!

Michele said...

TYPICAL:

Losing Coverage When You Need It Most
Thousands of Americans also lose health insurance each year through a practice called rescission.

When a person is diagnosed with an expensive condition such as cancer, some insurance companies review his/her initial health status questionnaire. In most states’ individual insurance market, insurance companies can retroactively cancel the entire policy if any condition was missed – even if the medical condition is unrelated, and even if the person was not aware of the condition at the time. Coverage can also be revoked for all members of a family, even if only one family member failed to disclose a medical condition.10

A recent Congressional investigation into this practice found nearly 20,000 rescissions from three large insurers over five years, saving them $300 million in medical claims11 – $300 million that instead had to come out of the pockets of people who thought they were insured, or became bad debt for health care providers.

At least one insurance company has been found to evaluate employee performance based in part on the amount of money an employee saved the company through rescissions.12 Simply put, these insurance company employees are encouraged to revoke sick people’s health coverage.

Michele said...

A recent national survey estimated that 12.6 million non-elderly adults5 – 36 percent of those who tried to purchase health insurance directly from an insurance company in the individual insurance market – were in fact discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition in the previous three years.6

In another survey, one in 10 people with cancer said they could not obtain health coverage, and six percent said they lost their coverage, because of being diagnosed with the disease.7

It is still legal in nine states for insurers to reject applicants who are survivors of domestic violence, citing the history of domestic violence as a pre-existing condition.

healthreform.gov