Sicko

I just saw a movie/documentary called Sicko. It was one of the very few documentaries that got my attention and that I really sat down to watch.

It was a documentary about health insurance and health care in the US. I fund it so disappointing, disturbing and even scary that so many Americans die due to the inability to pay for medical services and for not being approved for health insurance. It also irks me how doctors can have the heart -- or lack thereof -- to turn away a patient who can't pay for the medical attention they need or to deny the approval of medical treatment for someone insured. Some doctors even get paid more with the number of patients whose health insurance application they decline... really dirty business!

There are countries, however, such as Canada, Great Britain and France where medical services are for free and medicines come cheap! In France, even college education is free and the government provides mothers with nannies... wow! How can these countries do it and a country like the US can't? It's ironic how people in these countries can get all the medical services they need without working too hard whereas people in the US work two to three jobs and still not get sufficient medical attention.

What's more ironic is that people who helped out in the 911 tragedy don't get any medical assistance for the health problems they incurred from helping out in the incident, while the terrorists who are locked away in some island get top notch medical services and facilities.

This also made me appreciate my own health coverage more. I have it easy compared to millions of Americans. Although I've never tried applying for health insurance on my own (I've always had company-provided health coverage), I don't think it's half as hard to get insured here. It's also pretty easy to get approved for medical treatments that you need to undergo.

I'm starting to think if going to the US is really the best option or if it's the best country to settle in. Well, I hope things change for the better soon.

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Quick Updates:

• My dad just left for the US. He was kinda teary-eyed (aww...), while I was trying hard not to break down. I kinda find it hard to stop crying once I start.


• I'm on a week break for the Holy week... woohoo! My second week-long break in six months... sometihing very hard to get in my previous jobs. Well, I hope I get to do the things I set out to do and not just sleep the week away...