On Saturday night at the Picturehouse we saw Sicko, Michael Moore’s new documentary about the glorious American healthcare system. Part-way through it turns into NHS-worship and Tony Benn is wheeled on to offer an opinion. Then there’s some French healthcare analysis that includes a man’s bottom. Apparently in France you get paid time off work for almost every conceivable activity, including moving house and going on honeymoon.
Moore’s usual tactics are in evidence as he takes some 9/11-affected Americans to Cuba for treatment. He’s typically befuddled-to-order by the horrific spectacle of socialised medicine and its dastardly “free at the point of use” ethic, clearly not the American Way. A short-cut to communist rule, according to sundry fat American cats rolling in the bloodstained cash and discarded body parts of privatised healthcare.
One-sided, of course: nobody could accuse Michael Moore of balance. But true nonetheless. We grumble about the NHS and its problems, but it’s far far better than the US system.
Three days after seeing the film I woke with a cold, the first I’ve had all year I think. I suspect doctors may have sprinkled vials of unidentifiable substances on the cinema seats to make us appreciate the NHS a bit more.
Avaragado’s rating: one bottle of Night Nurse
Avaragado's blog 
View from the US
What is really hilarious is that what passes for debate on this issue in the US makes it seem like there are two mutually exclusive choices. One is “socialist” medicine like Canada/Europe, and the other is personally paying for it (and getting what you pay for).
In reality you can have both at the same time. At that point the market takes care of what people choose to pay extra for (like Bupa) and the voters take care of what their taxes pay for.
The funny thing is that a lot of healthcare in the US is already done by the government (known as Medicare and Medicaid). Also federal employees get good healthcare with congress/senate getting superb care. All they have to do is give that same care to all residents.
Meanwhile I have to figure out how to get high deductible insurance with an HSA. Not fun.