By Chelsea Albers, JMI Intern and Florida State University Senior in International Affairs & Languages
On November 16 on FSU’s campus, Madison Movie Nights screened Sick and Sicker (2010), a documentary that examines the Canadian universal healthcare system and reveals its lethal aspects. Providing many dreadful examples of patients perishing while waiting for treatment (many of those who were interviewed in the documentary died before the film was completed), the film is nothing short of a horror story about what could happen under ObamaCare.The sad fact is, sick Canadians are treated worse than their pets – private veterinary insurance is available for purchase, and pet owners often see their puppies get treated within days, while they must wait months for diagnosis. However, the most surprising point in the film was about the inefficiency of Canadian healthcare, caused by their centralized approach. The government is not allowing the supply to meet the high demand, mostly because it lacks the money to do so. Although many patients wait years to receive treatment, Canadian bureaucrats have reduced the number of doctors in the country and floors of hospitals remain unused (and available for rent by film crews).The FSU Economics Club had shown Michael Moore’s film Sicko (2007) the night before and the vast majority of the Madison Movie Night audience had attended the Economics Club’s event as well; this provided an excellent opportunity for comparison and discussion afterwards, which was lead by FSU Economics Professor Dr. Katie Showman who teaches a class on the economics of healthcare.For those who attended our event, have seen Sick and Sicker, or who have a personal experience with Canadian healthcare, please leave your comments in the box below.
2011
