Go beyond the film, Sicko, to examine life expectancies in countries that have universal health care and compare that with our own life expectancies. What other yardsticks are useful for comparison? Infant mortality?
Write a reflective essay of at least 750 words. Essays should have an introduction, body, and conclusion. Be sure to give sources …show more content…
During our discussions in class, I was saddened to hear about doctors prescribing medicines that may or may not be necessary, because of sponsorship by pharmaceutical companies. Even sadder was the moment in Sicko when a man who had lost two of his fingertips was given the price of replacing them, and could only afford to replace the cheaper. Because of naturally occurring illnesses and diseases, or circumstances beyond control, many people find themselves in health situations that they cannot afford within our current health care system. This is the most saddening of all. We are one of the wealthiest and developed nations in the world yet we do not want to take care of our own people. We have the ability to provide healthcare for everyone, but we don’t because we would rather distribute healthcare by social classes – the best healthcare for the rich, and none for the poor. I believe that letting those who cannot afford good healthcare remain ill or die is immoral. The health insurance companies that deny people with pre-existing conditions or search for anything to deny insurance are immoral. The doctors who do not treat patients without health insurance are immoral and unethical. The Hippocratic Oath, which all physicians and healthcare professionals take, demands that they never do harm, and serve humanity whenever needed; they treat sick human beings and not a cancerous growth or fever chart (or loss/gain of profit), whose illness may affect the person’s family and economic stability. As physicians, it is part of their responsibility to include those related