Guaranteed Healthcare

Dear fellow human beings I watched "SiCKO" with my mum who just had pneumonectomy (lung lobectomy) for cancer. The cancer had not spread yet so hopefully our doctors and health system has saved her life. Her treatment in Australia was all free! All through our national health care system known as Medicare.

Anyway, after watching "SiCKO" by Michael Moore, I sent this email to the White House, your government, asking them to clarify my concerns. I pray that your health system will be improved and you all get the health system you need.

Your elderly, frail, terminally ill and anyone in need of medical attention should not be suffering at the hands of your government's policies. This is sad and I am deeply concerned as a fellow human being. God bless you all, let us pray that your government will see sense.

This is what I sent to the "ask a question" - White House.

2 June 2006

Dear White House representative & administration,

 I was wondering if you would clarify something for me. Dear Vice President or Administration staff (White house) I live in Australia and recently viewed a documentary named, " SiCKO"- Michael Moore. It is about your health system in the United States. I was deeply concerned to see that without adequate health insurance, your hospitals and medicos turn away very sick patients or decline certain health treatment, due to the limitations of their health insurance policy.

From the documentary I noticed, a 3 year child who suffered high fever, probably Strep throat infection, suffered a cardiac arrest and died as a result of being sent away to another hospital. This was apparently because her Mother's health insurance policy was not adequate enough to be used in the hospital she attended. Similarly, September 11 rescuers have also suffered severe respiratory illnesses and in need of treatment were turned away.

The documentary made a point that a simple drug, such as Ventolin was out of the reach of these patients because it was around $120 per script. I was in tears watching this and disbelief. Would you mind getting a copy of this documentary and watch it please, from an international point of view, its putting a notch in the mark of America.

I did not think that the United States was in this much crisis and I am now really disappointed as a foreigner to your country to have been made aware of the health system crisis. I am wondering if you would mind clarifying for me, if this is actually true. And if so, if you would considered introducing into your country a better system of health care for your citizens, at least up to a standard of that meets an international humanitarian level.

I hope you don't think I am trying to tell you what to do or anything like that, but it really has upset me since watching that documentary, and I was shocked to see such a good country as yours, let its citizens down in this way. I would love any feed back and clarification on the truth, so at least I can tell the Australian citizens I speak to whether or not the documentary just contains lies, or if in fact it is true. Here's to the better health of your citizens.

Kind regards,

 Mandy (a deeply concerned Australian citizen)