Examining Universal Healthcare: A Comparative Analysis of Systems

This essay provides a detailed analysis of universal health care systems, contrasting them with the for-profit, non-universal system in the United States. It examines Michael Moore's documentary "Sicko" as a critical lens through which to view the US healthcare system's deficiencies, including coverage denials and profit-driven motives. The essay compares the US system to universal healthcare models in countries like Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and Cuba, highlighting the differences in accessibility and patient care. It further explores the potential for the US to adopt elements of the Canadian Medicare system, emphasizing the need for government and private sector synchronization to improve coverage and reduce costs. The essay concludes by advocating for policy reforms to address the shortcomings of the current system and enhance the quality of life through a more equitable healthcare approach, acknowledging challenges like waiting lists that must be addressed during implementation. Desklib offers this document and many other resources for students.

UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note
0

The documentary “Sicko” by Michael Moore on the Unites States Health care system
was one of the most detailed documentaries that address the corrupt practices that are involved in
the healthcare insurance and the healthcare industry. The documentary had been written and
directed by Michael Moore and was edited by Christopher Seward, Geoffrey Richman and Dan
Sweitlik (Scott, 2018). The documentary revolves around experiences of several individuals,
who have been either denied of their coverage even after being ensured. Moore travels through
the origin of the healthcare system to its reformation through changing political powers. The
documentary set in an editorial critic style can be observes the stories of the numerous people
who have been part of the health care system, who have not been part of the system, and gives an
overview of the universal health care systems as compared to for-profit non universal healthcare
system in the unites states. Michael Moore gives an insight into the tricky, manipulative and
degenerative healthcare system that aims at maximizing profit for the private health care
companies, who are more inclined to decline the insured customers by manipulating the cases in
their favour. Michael travels across developed economies that have a universal education system
and develop. Michael Moore experiences the universal health care plan developed in Canada,
France, United Kingdom and Cuba (Maldonado, 2015). The movie finally ends up with a Cuban
extradition of few patients and back and giving the viewers a live experience of healthcare
system of Cuba.
The movie compares the various differences that universal health care systems provide
and contrasts them with the US healthcare system. Several individuals have been interviewed
and their experiences with respect to health policies were recorded. The movie sends a sturdy
message to the policy makers of the health care industry in the US and uses intelligent techniques
1

to deliver the impact. The factual presentation of data represents the horrifying scenario in public
healthcare in the country (Marmor, Okma, & Rojas, 2007).
The comparison of public health care system in the US will be done with comparisons of
the health care system in the Canada. Canada has implemented the Universal Healthcare System
which is commonly known as Medicare in the Canada. Canada provides easily accessible
healthcare systems to its individuals and is reimbursed form public funded money. The health
care system provides coverage of all basic health care and excludes prescription drugs and home
and long term care. The cost effective nature of the Medicare system is due to the administrative
simplicities that are implemented in the health care system. The billing and financial issues are
looked after by the medical practitioners in respective provinces (Reich et al., 2016).
The US health care system can adopt the Canadian Healthcare system in the American
way and devise policies that are best applied in the American scenarios. Both the countries being
administratively similar have greater chances of successful implementation. The necessary
requirement to boost public healthcare involves participation of the government and the private
entities with synchronization. The success of the implementation of the pubic health care service
in the United Service will reduce costs and increase the amount of coverage ensured. The service
will also expand the health care choices that are available to Americans across all sections. The
Obamacare being repealed out leaves the policy makers with open ended choice to implement
fresh policies that can be devised with extensive research and experiences from the past. The
implementation of the policy can definitely be done by empowering the respective states with
authority similar to the Canadian health system. The Canadian Health Care system has been
designed to cater to all the citizens and removes fragmentation of administrative policies by
single payer policy. A brief overview of the Canadian health Care system can be reviewed to
2

understand how the implementation can be done according to the American way. The basic
provisions of the Canadian Healthcare System include public funding of health care through
private sector engagement in providing services. The process is a single payer system where all
services provided are paid by the provincial governments. The pharmaceutical costs are not paid
but the cost is set at a global average. The care is mostly provided by the public funded hospitals
which are centralized in their management. The dental and pharmaceutical costs are generally
carried out by the individuals. Even for private health care the funds are divided among private
insurances and the individual in a fifty-fifty share. Looking at the Canadian scenario, the
American backdrop can be evaluated. The replacing of the Obmacare and reforming the public
health care system, similar approaches can be applied, to the US scenario by implementing a
similar framework of provincial administration. The importance in providing primary health can
be emphasized and eventual development on critical health care can be decided. The necessary
amalgamation of private healthcare facilities can also be done reduce competition and patient
care quality and quantity would be considered for subsidies and fund allocations. The waiting list
in the Canadian health Care system is an issue that needs to be managed formerly while
implementing a similar role. The essential calculation and analysis should be done to reduce
these issues (Shakeel, et al., 2016).
The Universal Healthcare System is a need of the time and requires policy reforms and
policy changes that need to be addressed adequately before implementing a different system of
health care service. Completely replacing an already existing system has a huge expenditure
attached to it which must be taken into consideration. Once correctly implemented, a public
health care system can increase life expectancy and quality of living. In fact Public Health Care
Systems are the need of the hour not just for America, but of all the growing economies that have
3

different healthcare approaches. It is high time that reforms are made to the system that benefit
the whole mass and also reduce the economic and social burdens that have affected lives in a
detrimental way.
4

References
Maldonado, C. A. (2015). Michael Moore and the rhetoric of documentary. Journal of
Communication, 65(6), E1-E3.
Marmor, T. R., Okma, K. G., & Rojas, J. R. (2007). What It Is, What It Does and What It Might
Do: A Review of Michael Moore's Sicko, 113 Minutes, Dog Eat Dog Films, USA,
2007. The American Journal of Bioethics, 7(10), 49-51.
Reich, M. R., Harris, J., Ikegami, N., Maeda, A., Cashin, C., Araujo, E. C.,.. & Evans, T. G.
(2016). Moving towards universal health coverage: lessons from 11 country studies. The
Lancet, 387(10020), 811-816.
Shakeel, S. M., Basha, S. S., Nagabhushanam, M. V., Reddy, D. N., & Bonthagarala, B. (2016).
Comparision of Regulataory Requirements for Generic Drugs Dossier Submission in
United States and Canada. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Science and Health
Care, ISSN, 2249-5738.
Trombetta, B. (2015). Managed Care “Sicko”/Profits so-so. In Proceedings of the 2008 Academy
of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference (pp. 194-194). Springer, Cham.
Scott, A. (2018). Sicko - Movies - Review. Retrieved from
https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/22/movies/22sick.html
5