Sociology

This week you will watch SICKO

A 2-hour, 2007, documentary comparing the highly profitable American health care industry to other nations, and HMO horror stories including shotgun deaths.

1. What are some reasons health insurance companies deny eligibility for coverage?
2.How do you make sense of the disparity between ordinary people’s lives in this country and in the countries featured in SiCKO?
3.How did stories from the movie influence the way you think about citizens in the U.S. getting involved in their democracy?
4.Thinking of the experiences portrayed in the film, what are the major problems in the United States’ health care system? Why hasn’t it been “fixed”?
5.Are your parents and family members healthy? Have you experienced any family illnesses like those filmed in SiCKO?
6.Do you think our government should be responsible for taking care of the health of working people? Of those who can’t work? Why or why not?
7.Imagine your “dream career,” and picture yourself in that position. What benefits are you looking for? What will make you a productive worker?
8.How do you respond to Moore’s–and others’–argument that single-payer health care makes fiscal sense for the U.S.?
9.What do you think of the benefits parents in England and France receive, as shown in SiCKO?
Which of the stories in the film resonated with you the most? Why? Did you find any of the stories shocking? Why?