Boyrobot and I finally sat down and watched Sicko online for free last night. For all of you anti-Michael Moore peeps, I’m well aware of his tactics to twist the truth to get his point across. But in the end, he does point out a glaring fact…there is a huge problem with our health care system.

Some stats:

About 18,000 people a year die prematurely because they lack insurance.

People file for bankruptcy at a rate of one every 30 seconds because of medical bills.

The average employer-based family premium rose 87 percent from 2000 to 2006, to $11,500.

Fewer than 60 percent of people under 65 have employer coverage, down from 70 percent in 1987.

It was truly heartbreaking hearing some of the stories: a mother watching her baby die because the hospital refused to service her because they were not under the Kaiser Network insurance she had, an older couple who are forced into bankrupty because the husband has had multiple heart attacks while the wife discovers she has cancer, or countless 9/11 HEROES suffering from respiration problems who are unable to seek the treatment they need because they cannot afford to. There were so many stories.

The film made us so thankful for our health. Even though we live very comfortable lives, you never know what will happen tomorrow. And with the insane amounts of money that hospitals and prescription medicine companies are allowed to charge you, how can the average american sustain a medical emergency….EVEN with insurance! As the movie pointed out, in Cuba a particular prescription cost the patient 5 cents, while in the US it was over $100 for the same exact medicine! Here are some out of pocket expenses for common medical bills:

Average day in hospital: $7,157
Burst appendix: $48,151
Fractured ankle, and a tib-fib fracture: $101,790

Do those prices seem right to you? When I was in Peru, I spent a day in the hospital including my own suite at night, had multiple blood tests, an IV, urine test, and ultrasound. Do you know what my total was? Less than $150, without insurance.

I don’t really understand a lot about the healthcare system and how it all works, but one thing is apparent: politicians and healthcare companies are greedy and working together to screw us over

After watching the movie, I also realized I REALLY want to move to France.

Go watch the movie, it’s free!