I’ve lived in Canada, England and France—the three countries that Moore extols as healthcare utopias, along with Cuba.  Yes, Cuba.  The place that my Miami Cuban friends describe as Hell.  Oh, wait, that’s Moore, mocking us (with flames around a map of the country) for thinking that one of Amnesty International’s top human rights violators could actually be a bad place.  Silly us!  We’ve just bought into government propaganda. For 45 years.  So what if Cubans can’t get jobs, food or housing?  They have wonderful, free healthcare!  Well, sort of.  Even Castro brought in a Spanish doctor for himself, after all.

There are other oversights.  Everyone I know in England, including my parents (who have lived there since 1989), has private insurance, in addition to their NHS plan.  It’s a two-tier system that serves the elite far better than the poor. And while Moore did manage to find a newly-renovated hospital in Hammersmith, every hospital I ever visited made me feel like I was in a World War II movie—iron beds and fading green paint included.

On the other hand, I had excellent medical care during my three years in Canada, where I didn’t need private insurance (as a foreigner, I did have to pay a small monthly premium).  Then again, I was 27 years old and in great health—like all the Canadians Moore interviews.  Also, along with everyone else in that country, I paid the heavy 14 percent sales tax on every item purchased—not just food and clothing but also cars and even houses.  Nevertheless, Canada’s healthcare still had its problems—namely long wait times for procedures, which Moore ignores completely.  And unlike England, Canada is still in the early years of its system.  It takes time for the system to break down—kind of like Social Security in this country.

I don’t have the answers to the overwhelming conundrum we’re facing, but you only need the skills of a kindergartner to do the math.  Too many people plus too many illnesses minus not enough money does not equal good healthcare for everyone.  That’s why they hold lotteries in Canada—something Moore also neglects to mention. 

Something definitely needs to be done about this problem, however.  And anyone who considers himself a Christian had better start doing it, otherwise the term “compassionate conservative” will soon become an oxymoron.

DVD EXTRAS:

• “Sicko” Goes to Washington
• This Country Beats France
• Uniquely American
• What if You Worked for G.E. in France?
• Sister Mary Fidel
• Who Would Jesus Deny?
• More with Mike & Tony Benn
• A Different Kind of Hollywood Premiere
• “Alone without You” Music Video
• Interview Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer

CAUTIONS:

• Drugs/Alcohol:  References to prescription drugs only.  People are briefly shown smoking in several scenes.
• Language/Profanity:  A few strong, but brief, profanities in several scenes.
• Sexual Content/Nudity:  None. 
• Violence:  Man is shown sewing up a huge gash on his leg, presumably without the use of antibiotics.  Another man shows a healed, severed finger.  Multiple references to accidents, illnesses and diseases—some of which lead to death.