SiCKO (2007) Movie and Film Photos and Desktop
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Sicko (or SiCKO) is a 2007 film directed by Michael Moore that investigates the American health care system. The film compares the U.S. for-profit health insurance and pharmaceutical industry with the universal and non-profit systems of Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Cuba. Sicko cites the United States as the only industrialized nation that does not provide universal health care to its citizens, highlights cases in which insured individuals were denied care, and condemns for-profit health care for maximizing profit at the expense of patient care. Sicko opened in the United States and Canada on June 22, 2007 and "received mostly good reviews from film critics, but some viewers have criticized it for a lack of a substantive comparison of the U.S. health-care system" with other countries. In its release, Sicko earned $4.6 million in 441 theatres, achieving the second highest opening weekend for a documentary, after Fahrenheit 9/11.
It's 2006, and almost 50 million Americans are uninsured, and those who are covered are often victims of insurance company fraud and red tape. Interviews are conducted with both types, including former employees of insurance companies, who describe cost cutting initiatives that encourage bonuses for insurance company physicians to deny life saving medical treatments for policy holders.
In Canada, Moore speaks to his relatives and other Canadians about their health care system. He learns about Tommy Douglas, who was voted the Greatest Canadian in 2004 for his contributions to the Canadian health system. Moore interviews a microsurgeon and people waiting in the emergency room of a Canadian public hospital.
The history of health care debate in the U.S. is explained, as pundits argue against universal health care systems with the backdrop of 1950s-style anti-communist propaganda. A record distributed by the American Medical Association in the 1960s, narrated by Ronald Reagan, warns that universal health care could lead to communism. To counter this statement Moore shows images of American police, fire service, postal service, public education and community libraries, which are said to be "socialized" services that have not led to communism. The origins of the Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973 become evident in a taped conversation between John Ehrlichman and President Richard Nixon on February 17, 1971, leading to the expansion of the modern HMO-based health care system. On the tape, Ehrlichman is heard telling Nixon that "...the less care they give them, the more money they make." Connections are highlighted between Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the lobbying arm of the largest drug companies in the United States, lobbying groups in Washington D.C., and the United States Congress. Hillary Clinton, who once championed the Clinton health care plan, is cited as the Senate's second-highest recipient of health care industry campaign donations.
In a National Health Service (NHS) hospital in the United Kingdom, Moore attempts to find in-hospital expenses incurred by patients, only to be told laughingly that there are no out-of-pocket payments. Pharmaceuticals are free of charge if one is younger than 16 and older than 60, and subsidized so only a maximum of £6.65 is charged (about $10 U.S.). Moore finds a counter labeled "Cashier", discovering that low-income patients receive money to reimburse their trip to the hospital. Interviews include Tony Benn, a British former Member of Parliament, an NHS general practitioner, and an American woman residing in Great Britain.
In France, Moore interviews the head of Obstetrics and Gynecology in a French hospital, and a group of Americans living in France. He also rides with "SOS Médecins", a 24-hour French medical service that provides house calls by physicians. Moore says that the French government provides exceptional social services, such as day care for $1 an hour, and neonatal support that includes cooking, cleaning, and laundry services for new mothers.
Interviews with 9/11 rescue workers who volunteered after the September 11, 2001 attacks reveal that they were denied government funds to care for physical and psychological maladies they had subsequently developed, including respiratory disease and PTSD. Unable to receive medical care in the U.S., the 9/11 rescue workers sail from Miami to Cuba on three speedboats in order to obtain free medical care provided for the enemy combatants detained at the U.S. Guantanamo Bay detainment camp. The group arrives at the entrance channel to "Gitmo" and Moore uses a megaphone to request access, pleading for the 9/11 victims to receive treatment that is on par with the medical attention the "evildoers" are receiving. Moore gives up when a siren is blown from the base, and the group moves on to Havana, where they purchase cheap medicine and receive free medical treatment. Providing only their name and birth date, the volunteers are hospitalized and receive medical attention; Moore asks the physicians to provide the same level of care they would give to Cuban citizens.
Moore emphasizes that people should be "taking care of each other, no matter the differences". To demonstrate his personal commitment to this theme, Moore sends an anonymous US $12,000 cheque to Jim Kenefick, webmaster of MooreWatch, which Moore describes as "the biggest anti-Moore website on the internet." Kenefick was forced to close the website because he needed US $12,000 to pay for his wife's medical treatment. Moore explains his charitable contribution, saying he doesn't want the health care system to trump the first amendment. Upon receipt of the anonymous cheque, Kenefick calls the anonymous Moore his "Guardian Angel", and continues to criticize Moore on his website.
Although the film was released on June 29, 2007, a copy was leaked onto the Internet in early to mid June 2007. Moore, who previously stated his support for Internet downloading, denies leaking the video himself and an investigation has been held as to the source of the Internet leak.[40] When asked about the leak, Moore said: I'm just happy that people get to see my movies. I'm not a big supporter of copyright laws in this country. I don't understand filmmakers who oppose sharing, having their work being shared by people, because it only increases your fanbase. I've always been happy in the past when teenagers have downloaded pirated copies of my movies. They've been downloading them and they've been sharing them, and I think that's great.
In a May 2, 2007 letter, the Office of Foreign Assets Control informed Moore that he was the subject of a civil investigation stemming from the filmmaker's March trip to Cuba. In the letter to Moore, a Treasury official noted that the department had no record of Moore obtaining a license that authorized him to "engage in travel-related transactions involving Cuba," alleging that Moore violated the United States embargo against Cuba. A duplicate master copy of the film is being held in Canada in case American authorities attempt to seize the film as part of the criminal investigation against Moore that arose from taking American 9/11 rescue workers to Cuba for medical treatment. Moore has said that if any trip to Cuba is for journalism reasons, the U.S. allows it. He also added that Sicko is a non-fiction film and for journalism. Moore states that his intentions were to travel to the US Naval base in Guantanamo Bay. Upon Moore's arrival at Guantánamo Bay, no warning from the guard tower was given, a siren was sounded and Moore decided to turn around for safety.
On the Tonight Show, Moore reported that he was notified that a subpoena regarding his trip to Cuba had already been issued. According to an anonymous source at Reuters, Moore has not been served; rather, the government contacted his attorney, David Boies, to discuss the logistics of serving a subpoena.
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