BMJ  2007;335 (7 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.39266.573056.47

Editor's Choice

Editor's choice

Dealing in extremes

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In Michael Moore's film Sicko, reviewed this week (doi: 10.1136/bmj.39262.638588.59), a woman in Britain is surprised to be asked how much the birth of her baby cost. She has no idea. Meanwhile, the threat of a $60 000 bill forces a man in America to choose which of his severed fingers will be reattached. Moore wants the US to have a single payer system, and the response to his film (doi: 10.1136/bmj.39258.421111.DB) shows that he is far from alone. His polemic exposes the damage to individuals and society that is caused by a system in which competing insurance companies have no reason to care what happens to unprofitable patients.

The film may prove to be a tipping point for US health care in the dog days of the Bush regime. But Moore's rose tinted portrayal of Europe's health systems will raise a hollow laugh from anyone devilling . . . [Full text of this article]

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Articles

Training and careers in France

Herv Maisonneuve and Yves Matillon
BMJ 2007 335: 788. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Stance is worst type of spin

Roger H Jones
BMJ 2007 335: 465. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Public trust in doctors undented

Jon Ford
BMJ 2007 335: 465. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Sticking to standards, not together

Caroline Mawer and Douglas Russell
BMJ 2007 335: 465. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

The future role of the Department of Health

Rudolf Klein
BMJ 2007 335: 2-3. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Effectiveness of strategies for informing, educating, and involving patients

Angela Coulter and Jo Ellins
BMJ 2007 335: 24-27. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

A lesson in a dish of beans

Melita Gordon
BMJ 2007 335: 45. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

No laughing matter

Douglas Kamerow
BMJ 2007 335: 47. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

What's next for the NHS?

Nick Timmins
BMJ 2007 335: 18-19. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

US health professionals demonstrate in support of Sicko

New York
BMJ 2007 334: 1338-1339. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]