Michael Moore's "Sicko"

I've always been a fan of Michael Moore's film as most of his films show how reality is like in America. His recent film (or documentary if you would like to call it...) Sicko basically shows you how the health care system in America works. Although i do think highly about America, the lavish lifestyle there, the culture, the people and many other things, it never quite occur to me how exactly the health system there work cause that's like one of the last thing you'll ever think of. For example, if you plan to migrate to another country, you'll think of how cool life is going to be there, the weather, the people, the lifestyle, the currency, the shopping malls, the hot guys / girls, and the list goes on and on...but not the hospital. Being brought up in Brunei, falling sick isn't quite a big issue especially if you're a local. You fall sick, if you have spare cash, you see a private clinic doctor otherwise, you'll go and queue in the local hospital, pay BND$1.00, get your medicine and off you go. If say you're being diagnosed with something major, you do the same. If not it'll be Singapore cause it's 'safer'. And that's how our system here works.

I was quite shock in fact when the film revealed how an average American family goes into debt because of the health system there. Some had to sell off everything they have (their house, cars, etc) just to pay off for their medical bills, while some had to sacrifice their children's school / college funds because they need to undergo certain operations and also how majority of the young adults are already in debt when they start their first job. Plus, this film also reveals how most of the insurance companies that are suppose to 'cover' an average American's medical expenses works in a really corrupted way.

After watching this film, it somehow shattered my image on how life's like in the States. I once thought the U.S would be an ideal place to stay but after watching this documentary, i think places like Canada, France or U.K isn't that bad if you're looking at it from the medical side? Part of me feel extremely blessed to know how fortunate we Bruneians are when it comes to health system because the government subsidized a lot for their citizens even though i have to admit we aren't equipped with the latest medical technology here but you must know you are really blessed when you're only required to pay BND$1.00 for prescribed medicines where for the same medicines in the States, it'll probably cost you a few hundred dollars...and that's in U.S dollars.

I think this would be an ideal film for those who have some interests in good ol' U.S.A or for medical students to gain a bit of knowledge of the health care system outside of Brunei. As for me, now i'm just thinking really hard about my insurance provider whether or not it'll screw me over when there's a need for me to claim it. *coughs*Mike*coughs*A.I.A*coughs*

Michael Moore's Sicko...two thumbs up for me!


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