Englishmum

Now I must confess, I've never watched an Oprah Winfrey show before. However, I'm going to watch (maybe Tivo) it today because of the subject matter, all about the healthcare provision and 'crisis' in the USA.

It might be interesting to check it out, or to look at her website and messageboard:

http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/...promocode=HP11


I didn't get to watch 'Sicko' this past Summer as I went to Europe for a month.....I'll probably buy the DVD when it comes out though.

katesbackagain

I try not to watch/read things about US health care, as it's disgusting and makes me very angry. :curse:

"Yes, Ms. X, you've been working your fingers to the bone your entire life, and your employers are kind enough to pay for your health insurance policy, but now when you need help the most, we're going to financially rape you without the KY for every last dime you have so you have to file for bankruptcy just to survive. Toodle pip now."

:curse:

jumping doris

Healthcare here scares the living daylights out of me, as I have said many times before.

Yes I know you can have a bad experience with the NHS but at least it's cheaper than a bad experience here.
Our monthly premiums are much higher here than our Nat.Ins payments and I can honestly say that the medical treatment we have had here has been worse in every way.

It's the one issue of life here that completely gets me down because I can't change it.
If I'm lonely I can go out and talk to people, if I'm bored I can go to the library etc.

jumping doris

I have just read some of the transcripts of the show and some of the comments are very encouraging.
I've only been here two years so I don't know if this type of debate is normal here and nothing will come of it or is this a big thing to have healthcare issues discussed?

another bloody yank

We'll have some sort of National healthcare within ten years. Maybe sooner if Orpah keeps scaring the shit out of people. That's if the US is still around in ten years.

Giantaxe

I've thought many times that finally healthcare funding might be addressed in this country, going back to Hiliary's attempts in the early '90s. Aside from Medicare's botched prescription drug coverage, next to nothing has been done to address the issue and the number of uninsureds just keeps climbing. So despite all the talk, I'm personally pessimistic that anything will change any time soon - just too many vested interests with deep pockets.

kingfisher241049

Sicko was good, we saw it when it first came out. I think Michael Moore is on Oprah tonight.

jumping doris

Go, Oprah!

Englishmum

OMG - this is riveting stuff!

Tears came in my eyes when it showed a 25 year old leukemia victim; he needed bone marrow surgery and his brother was the perfect match.

However, his insurance co. will only pay a max of $150,000 and it was going to cost another $250,000 for the bone marrow transplant. He has since gone blind in one eye and is very sick because his claim has basically been denied by the insurance co. (it was either Aetna or United Healthcare I think)....:curse:

The German/Canadian Professor at Princeton University (Ewe Reinhardt) has put forward some very pertinent views.

I'm glad that I've recorded it...will show my husband when he gets back from London tomorrow night.

TruBrit

i guess i've missed it then, i don't watch much tv here so not sure when it was on

Englishmum

I think you might just catch it if you look up your TV schedules; in my area Oprah is on the ABC channel at 4pm ET and repeated again on another channel (10) at 7pm.

Jerseygirl

I've mentioned several times about my daughter's school friend who at the age of 16 was diagnosed with a very rare and agressive cancer. Even though both parents had good healthcare insurance...18 mths into the treatment they were $250K in debt.

Jerseygirl

We have always received first class and prompt treatment...with very little cost to ourselves. Although we were only being treated for minor procedures.

Giantaxe

This highlights one of the reasons why reform is so difficult. If you are relatively healthy, have good health insurance and think only of one's own situation, US healthcare probably seems pretty excellent. Consequently, the normal "evils of socialized medicine" scare tactics have a propensity to work pretty well. It's only when people get very sick, or have relatives or close friends that do, that the catastrophic limitations become apparent to most people.

Jerseygirl

Of course...I have always said the very same thing.