Sicko Reprise, Please

Norwegians consider President Barack Obama to be a right-wing leader. I kid you not. My "people," the Norwegians, are out in front on so many social issues that even conservatives in Norway think Obama is too conservative. Nonetheless, when my husband and I were in Norway at the end of last year, our relatives and the people we met were absolutely overjoyed that Obama won. We literally had people in Oslo stopping us on the street (we were obviously Americans) and slapping our backs, shaking our hands and offering to help us with our luggage. AND they often reminded us they were flabbergasted at our primitive ways, especially about health care.

Remember Michael Moore's movie, Sicko? Moore and his editors decided to not use the footage they'd shot in Norway - it can be seen on the Special Edition DVD - because the Norwegian health care system is so pro-active and prevention oriented that it would strain credibility for many Americans to even know about it. I know this to be true. One of my relatives told me that Norwegian health care includes visits to shut-ins to play cards, read out loud, or just hang out. The government logic is that it's cheaper to keep a person company than it is to treat stress-related illness after the damage is done. I'm stunned at the Norwegian sense of generosity, common sense and ethics. Indeed, one of the Norwegian scenes that got omitted from the theatrical release of Sicko was an interview with a government "ethicist" whose job it is to make sure health care funds get invested in healthy - as in no harm to people - investments. How's that for goody-two-shoes government?

Meanwhile, my husband and I have been wrestling with a health care plan here in the good ol' U.S.of A. that is generally pretty good EXCEPT that coverage is contingent on my husband working a minimum amount of time in an industry that has been socked by the recession... and guess what? They just raised the minimum.

Oh, yeah, and then there's the "Big Brother" edict that came down the pike from the plan last month. Try to figure this out. I'm not quite sure why big pharmaceutical companies aren't fighting this.

Here goes: we've now been told our plan will not cover prescriptions that we buy from our local pharmacies. We use both Phoenix Pharmacy in Pasadena and Webster's Pharmacy in Altadena. We know the people who work there and trust them. We love our local pharmacies and make it a point to use them, even though we might be able to get a better price at a discount chain or online... maybe. We like to keep our local small businesses busy so they'll stay healthy and alive, with their employees employed, right?

But now, we're told, we must get our pharmaceuticals ONLY via Medco - either submitted via mail or online, with the medications mailed back to us from Florida. In addition, if our prescription is not a generic they will refuse to fill it, even if the Doctor specifically asks for a brand name. I am facing dental problems I've had to put off because there's a cap on the amount of work I can get done within a year. I've been denied coverage on the replacement of a tooth that needs an implant, because Delta Dental has determined it is not close enough to the front of my mouth to warrant cosmetic considerations. In other words, they'd pay if I were losing one of my six most forward teeth. But the tooth that's giving me trouble is one that, if it's missing, will make me look like a Jack-o-Lantern, or in my case, a Jill-o-Lantern. A "partial" will also impact my ability to speak. Everyone knows an edentate woman performing a one woman show, or giving a keynote speech, is inspiring to other dentally challenged people! Sarcasm aside, since I am an actor and need to speak and sing in front of an audience, wouldn't a very visible tooth gap be considered a work related problem?

No. I guess not.

Thank goodness our problems are relatively non-catastrophic. I am grateful we are not contending with life-threatening conditions.

Which brings me back to Sicko. As I watch the so-called health care "debates" and the ridiculous theater of town hall demonstrators, I can't help but wonder if there isn't some big pharmaceutical remedy for stupidity?

Just as Viagra was originally developed for treatment of high blood pressure - it was discovered to have "side benefits" as a solution to erectile dysfunction (ED) - perhaps we should see if there are any drugs for flaccid minds, or mental dysfunction (MD.) This anachronistic paranoia toward anything that even remotely smacks of socialism or community welfare is deplorable, despicable and downright ridiculous. What can these yahoos demonstrating at town hall meetings be thinking? Oh, yeah, they suffer from MD. Someone get them a pill that helps get them some blood to their possibly shriveled, limp brains.

Meanwhile, rent "Sicko," and give yourself a good reminder why the heck we need to emulate France, England and even Cuba... and someday perhaps, even Norway.

Follow Ellen Snortland on Twitter: www.twitter.com/snortland

Comments

[jabailo]

What I find funny about Liberal Polemicists is that they create this world where people spend all day discussing or worrying about issues of state run services.

In the Polilib's mind, people in Europe are always laughing at us. They laugh at us for our health care, for our cars, for our food. In fact, reading these articles, people in Europe don't seem to do much of anything except gloat. A typical European day might consist of: riding public transportation, stopping by the clinic for free health care and getting a degree for little or no money.

Europeans do these things each and every day. Then they gloat and laugh at us. Sometimes they call up their Canadian relatives and talk on their super sophisticated state-run cell phone services (cell phones are a right in most European countries...look it up) about how stupid Americans are.

The Europeans and Canadians do little else. They have no need for jobs because everything is free. They have no entertainment industry, because its more fun just to laugh at Americans. Soon China and India will raise their standard of living...and they too will spend the entire day laughing at America for not having as much train transportation as them.

We can't get no respect.

[Angiefranci]

You, on the other hand, have a serious case of xenophobia, and seem to believe that the US is so great that all other countries sit around feeling insecure and jealous of the US. Things of consequence do happen in other countries, and watch out: the US may end up like the hare in the fable of the tortoise and the hare one day. While you're sitting back gloating that we are the best and no one else can out shine us, our health care system and educational system are in shambles. It may be that one day you'll wake up and discover that we've been left far behind those Canadians and Europeans who sat chatting on their state-run cell phones all night (I've never heard of the state paying for people to have a cell phone, it's ridiculous).
The US is a great country, but that doesn't mean there's no room for improvement. Health care and public transportation would be a good start.

[Ellen Snortland]

Arrggh. I tried to correct the typos in a comment I just made a few moments ago and it disappeared before I could correct it! Sorry if it posts because it has errors in it!

[Teresa201]

If you haven't seen Sicko.............A must watch.

It will enlighten you, frustrate you, and make you want to move out.
We have become a very uncaring country.
The MSM has accomplished dumbing down Americans very well...
We have become willing to accept fraud and abuse as if we deserve this...

Why are we not in the streets demanding true healthcare for all.......?
The government has trained us well eh........?

[whatthel]

It's sad that people, in our country, are treated that badly when they are in need.

[RepugsOut08]

We all remember that moving film the Obama campaign bought primetime coverage to show, just before the election. That film probably moved many undecideds to vote Obama.
This is what Obama should have been doing all along.
It's fine to allow Congress to take a crack at health care reform, but Obama should have taken a stand for Medicare for All, and then paid to have "Sicko" aired without commercials on all three networks.
If you still believe in for profit health care after watching this film, you're either the CEO of a health insurance company, or a masochist.

[rextrek]

America needs to change its name to "The United States of Greed,and Selfishness"

[dougdrenkow]

A Viagra for "flaccid minds"? LOL! I might add that if after taking the med, the user experiences mental, political, or social "uprightness" lasting more than four minutes they should call 1-877-264-4226 (1-877-264-HCAN) -- the hotline of Health Care for America NOW! (http://healthcareforamericanow.org) -- and leave a message for their senators and congressional representative telling them to pass health care reform now!

[Humanistic]

The only cure for flaccid minds is education-­prevention­. That starts with turning off the TV and the computer games. But like good nutrition and health, good education requires intervention because parents often don't know any better. That is why "government-run" health care is so necessary.

[mbbythesea]

to me this comment makes no sense. are you talking about education or healthcare? healthcare won't cure a 'flaccid mind' per se. you seem to be confusing the need for improved education with the need for affordable healthcare.

[northstar11]

yes----- but america has got the finest military the world has ever seen.
---and they spend more on it than the rest of the world combined.
---and they like it that way.--tax dollars well spent ---eight years later still trying to conquer a country 1/12 its size.with no where close to same military strength

[CicelyCanada]

I am not sure if it is in Norway or another Scandanavian country but I know that escorts are paid by the government to sexually service the severely disabled (assuming that they wish of course, it isn't automatic obviously). Now that isn't something that is covered by the Canadian government but I wish it were. I know that this wouldn't happen in the US under any plan but it is the ultimate example of preventive care. It helps people fulfill a need that doesn't go away just because you have MS or Cerebral Palsy or Parkinson's. The client is also less likely to experience isolation and depression. A friend who worked in a long term care/independent living environment noted that many of the clients were desperate for sexual contact and sometimes behaved inappropriately towards other residents or staff because of depression and frustration.

[mbbythesea]

Ew!!! LOL. err...Well there you go, a nice alternative way of being screwed by your government. Your tax dollars at work....

[northstar11]

business oportunity for enterprising nurse or college student ?

[ExPatNorway]

Think i saw a documentary about that when i was living in sweden... But it was a documentary about Denmark. The Danes are a bit unusual ;)

[quindy]

Maybe, that's why Europeans are less prone to start unnecessary wars - the pent up energy is released in a positive way.

[canuck4barack]

From what I read in the news, the U.S. does have a similar plan. Escorts are paid by the Government to sexually service the severely incompetent. Politicians, in other words.

[Jane Devin - Huffpost Blogger]

Actually I am surprised that your Delta Dental includes any cosmetic considerations. Mine caps out at $1K per year, and doesn't include anything remotely cosmetic. And when my jaw was fractured in eighteen places & I consequently lost teeth? My dental insurance wouldn't even consider implants.

I understand that medical care is the bigger, more prevalent issue, but dental care in this country is also in serious need of a review. In a social climate where appearances dictate opportunity, a decent smile is not a superfluous, cosmetic desire.

Now I'm off to see the movie Sicko so I can get really agitated.

[JustJoy7]

It's mind boggling to me that dental and vision is considered separately from health.

[PunKinPai]

It's far more than a cosmetic issue. Loss or improper alignment of teeth can result in improper bite and jaw function, periodontal disease, worn or loose teeth, gum and bone infections, bad breath, improper/poor chewing, digestive problems, malnutrition and, in extreme cases, death. It's apalling that good dental care is considered optional in the country with the (alleged) "best health care in the world."

[RepugsOut08]

If you haven't yet seen "Sicko," be prepared to be really really angry at those who continue to fight against single payer. The rest of the world must think we're barbarians.

[mbbythesea]

Go Norway! Finnland is like this too. A friend' moved there and is pregnant. She will get 18 mos paid leave. The Gov't of Finnland sent them (as all citizens receive) a cradle with items needed for the first two years of life.

We have a lot to learn from places like Finland, Norway and Denmark. Why do we persist with the idea that it is appropriate for Healthcare organizations to profit from the illnesses of others? If profit is the motive, they will always be strategizing to reduce care and coverage. This is antagonistic to good care. Costs need to be controlled--not for profits--but for practicality, so that all citizens can receive adequate care and coverage. We cannot serve the profit motive and the goal of decent affordable care for all citizens.

However I understand the concerns of TownHall-ers. Some fear a mandate with huge, uncontrolled medical costs taken via deductions or taxes. We already have an unsupportable amt of debt from the Bush War and Wall Street Bailouts that provided no tangible benefits to citizens. 1/3 of taxes pays the interest on this debt. Do you blame them for distrusting the Gov't when it has always sold out to big business? Until there is meaningful election reform that prevents corporations from buying political influence, we will continue to have the Senator from United Healthcare & Congresswoman from Aetna.

[ExPatNorway]

I have to agree. As an american that moved to norway with my norwegian wife after seeing what victumhood did to the country I lived in after Sept. 11 2001.

Atter living here for 2 years, i was running to the bus on an icy morning, tripped and knocked
my ankle completely out of the socket breaking my lef. The ambulance came,I spent a week in the hospital. Had the cast for a month, and went to a rehab theoropist. I don't have insurance I am not a citizen (actually vice chair of Democrats aborad norway, got to meet mondale last july 4th....i digress) so what did all of this cost me as an american?100 dollars.

My norwegian wife got a sist and was in major pain while we were living in Long Beach, her insurance was set up my the colledge, and was incorrectly to go to the community clinic... She had done a round the wold trip and had to go to the hospital in thailand...We couldn't believe the 6 hour wait, while she was in pain, and then the total rude and obnoxous doctor that we finally got to see, that gave her tylonol. My wife Ingrid said the service in thailand was 10 times better. Luckly we got to go to the "real" Long Beach hospital and the set up an operation for two days later....

Between the "best medicine in the world" and the "socialized" medicine of norway, give me the socialized!!!

[NordicSci]

When I sprained my ankle on a visit to Norway I went in for X-rays etc. All I paid was about $35 for cruches (with deployable spikes on the end for ice). That was just a deposit and could bring them back to get my $35 back. But when pointed out that I wouldn't be able to bring them back any time soon they said no problem, keep the cruches.

[MC71]

My health plan also insists on mail-order prescriptions, from Caremark. It's a pain in the neck to have to deal with, and it does, in fact, hurt local businesses. But service was never a consideration for the insurance companies. They are just another example of mega-corporations that have you over a barrel, take your money and spit in your face. And for that, this country's conservatives stand up and cheer. And our president, elected for his vision, his fire, his lofty goals, has quickly withered in the face of an orchestrated campaign to destroy him because of the danger he posed, not to America, but to the conservative elite power structure -- the bankers, the insurers, the Wall Streeters, the oil companies and the social fascists who want government out of their board rooms and into people's bedrooms.

[metivo]

"And our president, elected for his vision, his fire, his lofty goals, has quickly withered in the face of an orchestrated campaign to destroy him because of the danger he posed, not to America, but to the conservative elite power structure -- the bankers, the insurers, the Wall Streeters, the oil companies and the social fascists who want government out of their board rooms and into people's bedrooms."

Great comment that bears repeating. THIS is why we are so disappointed in Obama.

[Mirabai305]

Thank you, excellent comment.

[Norge]

Terrific article and I of course agree with what you wrote. And I would not lose my house if I became serously ill in order to pay the medical bills.

That gives me a wonderful sense of security which money cannot buy.

Sicko was well viewed in Norway

Norge

[NordicSci]

Nordmen har mye aa vare stolt av!

[Norge]

NordicSci

Ja det har ve. Takk, og ha en fin dag.
Fra Norge

[kylennblack]

No wonder that Scandanavian countries top the lists as best educated, most egalitarian, best health care, best quality of life, safest, most peaceful...as far as I'm concerned they are the finest countries on earth and models that should be emulated.

[stereolabb]

Scandanavia as a whole is much further ahead of nearly all industrialized nations on a range of the most important social issues. The Scandanavian model would seem to be the way to go right now as the bellweather on how industrialized nations should proceed in this early part of the 21st century. Alas, here in the good 'ol U. S. of A., we are too marinated in Big Money, Ignorance and all-around Corporate Fascism to affect such a large change.

[Ellen Snortland]

My colleague at Consumer Watchdog, Jamie Court, calls it Corporateering. www.consumerwatchdog.org. The Norwegians like a high standard of living but not at any cost. I've heard people say to me, "Yeah, but Norway's so small no wonder they are so affluent." There are plenty of small countries that have lots of resources but they have not, as people, made it a priority to have a standard of care for all. Riane Eisler's latest book, "The Real Wealth of Nations" promotes the economics of caring which takes into account all sorts of forms of social profit not simply financial. That's what the Scandinavian countries have a pulse on...

[mbbythesea]

I am totally a liberal and a fan of the Norweigan systems, however it is not paranoia for people to be suspcious of the way the current political systems would set up healthcare. And this is not a knock at Obama. Until we have a reform of our election systems, big business is calling the shots on all political decisions. Costs are so high. People can barely afford their own healthcare, they truly fear big payroll deductions and taxes in order to take on the costs for the whole nation. They do not buy the notion that costs will be controlled and seeing the control that the industry lobbyists have over congress--Can you really blame them one bit ?!!?

We need publicly funded, clean elections that prohibit corporations or groups from buying political influence. We should have election coverage via CSPAN and locally, elections and political campaigning via public venues like universities.

After we have leaders elected by the people, they should take lie detector tests prior to biig votes to assure that they are not being bribed or blackmailed. Then perhaps we will have leaders voting in the public's interest.