Sicko

I finally watched Michael Moore's documentary Sicko last night. Although it would be wise to recognize the one-sided nature of Moore's depiction of the health care crisis in America, it is hard to argue with him on many of the issues raised in this film. Unless, of course, you were the beneficiary of greased palms from those seemingly interested in anything but your health.

For me and my wife Lori, the issue certainly hit home. After weathering a severe health care storm in our own family, we cannot imagine the added burden of dealing with a bureaucratic nightmare hellbent on protecting precious profits. We are extremely fortunate that our health care system and the support of family, friends, and even strangers, enabled us to focus solely on getting our daughter well. Without that support system a completely unforeseen illness would have left us bankrupt in more ways than one.

Our journey through Maryn's illness brought us into contact with many families experiencing similar trauma. The stories that reached us from the U.S. left us very grateful our daughter's life was not left hanging by a thread while we waited for insurance approval. I'm pretty sure her treatment didn't come cheap. Which, of course, raises another issue...

As Canadians, we greatly value universal health care. We also recognize, however, that it is huge economic burden and one that is showing no signs of abating. There are no simple answers to resolving this issue, but we all should consider how to preserve those things worth fighting for.