Michael Moore does the best job at exposing the American government for its huge flaws and failures. So why make a movie about health care? Where to start. The American health care system is a gigantic abuse of American greed, where insurance companies dictate the health of millions of Americans and only a small percentage of people can see a doctor without worrying about their finances. Moore takes a look at countries all over Europe where health care is free of charge, and a complex tax system pays for not only health care, but education and paid family leave at a brilliant and cost affective rate. Why the hell can't we do that? This is America. Moore calls out the horrible economic differences that are not present throughout the rest of the modern world, brining moral questions about how our health care and economic system affects millions of people daily and how we need to make drastic change. Agree with him or not, Moore gives tons of evidence and interesting interviews that give a different take on health care and economics, as well as brings in some clever sarcasm to make this both another educational and entertaining documentary.

There are some parts of "Sicko" I just cannot believe are real. Whether or not it's the obvious cost cutting initiative's that benefit Insurance companies, or the fact that America's health care system is ranked 37 out of 191 by the World Health Organization. This documentary is a superb eye opener when it comes to seeing just how a few other countries and their policies seem unreal by comparison.This is possibly my favourite of Moore's work so far. There cannot help but be a presence of sarcasm as he continues to go to the lengths he does in order to make some progress, especially with the rescue workers of 9/11. It wouldn't be a Michael Moore film without a little politics here and there, whether you agree with the man or not there's always a level of truth to it all.Final Verdict: Definitely something you should watch, just for the absurdities of it all. 8.5/10.

Because of the extreme partisan divide within this country this film probably won't even be viewed by certain segments of our society. The fact is that if any news isn't from one of their "trusted sources" they simply won't believe it. But the truth won't be denied forever and all American citizens will eventually get sick or injured. It's just a sad fact of life. Now, as far as this film is concerned, I agreed with most of it because I typically endeavor to keep an open mind. The fact is that there are millions of people in this country who simply can't afford to get sick. There are millions more who believe that if they do get sick that their insurance will pay for it. What they don't realize is that the insurance companies are concerned with only one thing—making a profit. And if that means denying needed care then that is exactly what they will do. In that regard, Michael Moore does a very good job of proving that point. He also does much to dismantle the argument that countries with "socialized medicine" are necessarily second-rate societies begging for an American-style solution. There is a reason that the United States ranks 37th in health care and countries like Finland, Sweden and Norway rank ahead of us. If only certain people would open their eyes to see it. On that score, I believe Michael Moore stumbles just a bit. For example, his attempt to enter Guantanamo was obviously nothing more than a publicity stunt that would have given him a desired result regardless of whether the ill 9/11 rescue workers were seen or not. If they had been treated at Guantanamo he could have trumpeted the success of "government health care". The fact that they weren't seen merely gave him the option of going into Cuba and being used for propaganda purposes by the Communist regime. And make no mistake, the government there was clearly interested in putting on a good show for the world to see. Additionally, some doubt could also be raised concerning those he chose to interview in Canada, England or France. Because of his obvious bias it could be charged that he only used stories that would buttress his case on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean--or in Canada's case, both sides of the Detroit River. That is not to say that he did, but it leaves open the possibility. Likewise, he didn't need to bring up college tuition at all. The fact that he did merely serves to prove the accusation that he is a "socialist" and therefore "un-American". At least in the minds of some people. Be that as it may, there are two things that are certain: One is that our current system leaves many people vulnerable to a catastrophic illness or injury and the other is that the insurance companies are making enormous profits in the process. These two points are undeniable. Unfortunately, it is equally undeniable that vast segments of our society are completely brainwashed by clever slogans and clichés which have them believing that America has the "best health care in the world". What they refuse to see is that this is true only for those who can afford it. To further confuse people the very thing the insurance companies want is the exact same thing their brainwashed minions repeat as the cure for our problems—tort reform! One need look no further than this very board to see a few misguided souls talking about "limiting lawsuits" as the practical solution. Nevermind the fact that "tort reform" is only a "catch word" which wouldn't accomplish anything other than making sure the insurance companies won't be held liable for their unethical practices. In short, health care in this country is a big business and the insurance companies hold all of the cards (i.e. "politicians"). The only joker in the deck is the will of the American voter. But as long as the American voter is uninformed or fearful, this trump card will never be played. It's absolutely sickening and Michael Moore does a reasonably good job of making the point. Again though, he goes overboard a time or two and that's all it really takes to leave millions of people unconvinced. Hence the reason I have rated this as only slightly above average.

I will say this movie is what has made me advocate for a universal healthcare system in this country because Moore brings undeniable facts and statistics and personal testimony of how our current privatized system is a failure.He starts out with a story of a man who cut two of his fingers off accidentally and was forced to pay $12,000 to have one finger reattached because he didn't have health insurance. But Moore states the film isn't about him or the other 50 million plus Americans who don't have health insurance, but to all the others who do.Moore brings up several different stories of people who came down with illnesses or serious injuries and were rejected by their healthcare companies for multiple different reasons, such as having a pre-existing condition or the companies simply not wanting to shovel out the money to cover the medical expenses, and as a result were refused treatment or became bankrupt.He travels to countries that have universal healthcare and those countries do not reject anyone for any reason, and their medical professionals make more money than American doctors.He really does a good job of showing how our healthcare system is designed to make profit and not actually help people. Nearly seventy percent of bankruptcies in this country are a result of medical expenses. These things are frightening, and this documentary does a very good job of exposing the greed of the insurance companies. Say what you want about Michael Moore but all middle and lower class people owe it to themselves to see this film.