Braden Smeda
Ms. Taylor
ENG 4U
October 2, 2013
The Hottest Issue in North America
Michael Moore's brutally honest film Sicko debates the pros and cons of both the American and Canadian healthcare systems. Canada and the United States are the two most powerful countries in the world, however they both have two very different health care systems. Healthcare has become one of the hottest issues in North America, as neither Canada, nor the United States can come up with a resolution on the subject healthcare.
Firstly, the American healthcare system is privatized, stating that all Americans must buy health insurance from health insurance companies in order to receive medical coverage. In the United Sates, fifty million Americans do not have health insurance; eighteen thousand of the previous number passes away because they cannot receive the treatment that they need, and over one million citizens become bankrupt because they cannot pay their medical bills, (Rachlis).
The United States spends more on health care than any other developed country in the world, yet its citizens are incredibly unhealthy.
Secondly, in Canada the healthcare system is universal. Universal healthcare ensures that every Canadian does not need to pay in need of medical treatment. Although Canadians do not pay a health insurance company, taxes are much higher, (Sicko). A large issue about the Canadian health care system is that it will often take weeks to receive elective surgery. Also, family doctor visits, and specialists also take longer to make appointments. As well in the medical profession, doctors' salaries are reduced exponentially. Chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease that go through therapy are often unsuccessful as invasive procedures prevail in health initiatives, (Taylor). Canada's system has flaws that often lead to disaster.