Critical Condition is a short film that tells the story of 4 ordinary, hard-working Americans and their experience with Healthcare in the United States. By the end of the film I found myself crying and was disgusted to see how being uninsured cost some of them their jobs, health, homes, savings, and even their lives.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=amdo1fp44b
I learned that more than 47 million Americans do not have health insurance. The health care crisis has an impact on individual health, family stability and the nation’s economy. The lost productivity of uninsured Americans costs the economy up to $130 billion dollars a year — more than the estimated cost to cover the uninsured.
- Sixty percent of uninsured adults had to forgo medical care this year.
- Every year, 22,000 Americans die prematurely because they lack health insurance.
- Among nonelderly adults, the lack of health insurance is the sixth leading cause of death in America.
Please let me know what you think about the film and if you were as outraged as I was. What can I as an individual do to change this situation?
Just want to say that you are right that the video is very heart breaking. What makes it worst is that the very people who aren’t suspect to be going through this are the very ones that become a victim because of it. It just very sad, the politicians who say they speak for the people, don’t. Just to think that they approve this bill for the bail out of Wall Street but can’t approve supplying money for the American people in need. These people are our next door neighbor, these are the people who work to build this country. By the end of this movie I too was also crying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was heartbroken and outraged after seeing this video as well. It is totally ridiculous that we are supposedly the “richest country in the world” and yet we are so poor in terms of health care and health needs. I have to ask the same question how can we solve this problem? You would think that with so many people dying from not having the means to afford health care and medication that the government would find a way to do something to help the situation. What is the purpose of paying taxes, voting and contributing to society and not be able to acquire this one deserving necessity?
The stories are heart wrenching but what caught my attention was the little facts at the end of each story especially the one that said that hospitals typically charge 2.5 times more for uninsured patients than the privately insured. If that’s true its HIGHWAY ROBBERY, unfair and they shouldn’t be liable for any expense higher that privately insured people.
Thank you all for taking the time out to watch the film…
Jesse said we could watch a few clips during an upcoming class. I think one could be of Karen Dove, who after chemotherapy states “I think they’re waiting for you to die before you can get it (Medicare)”. I didn’t know that you had to be on Social security for two years before they grant you Medicare. The movie is filled with sad stories but like buthia said it also has facts and statistics that Americans should be aware of. I also thought of Joe Stornaiuolo. If only he’d had insurance to cover his medication for liver disease his condition would not have accelerated causing complications and ultimately his death.