Haven’t watched it, but will (have watched MM’s other documentaries and like them). Yes, he dramatizes a topic, hence brings debate and discussion and awareness.
US healthcare system is highly in-efficient for the money it spends. It’s now about 15% of GDP, and easily double the per capital spending of the next country (Japan?), and we achieve less – lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality rate, 45 to 50M of uninsured …
Market economy works if consumers have a good sense of price/value ratio. But with healthcare, that’s very difficult if not impossible. How do you know how much to pay for a cancer drug? What if you’re in urgent pain? Do you know your doctors enough to know the right price to pay him/her? Also, empirical evidence show that people undervalue life when it’s their money (private contractors going to Iraq), but overvalue life when insurances pay for it. In fact, in market economy (or a private payer system like the US) prices tend to be much higher. Other countries, such as Japan and European ones, have country wide price controls and periodical price drops for medicine and other medical equipment. That’s why all pharma companies want to market/distribute their drugs in the US because of high prices.
HMOs are just a sad way to control the rampant cost increases when prices are set by manufacturers (pharma companies, etc, etc) and those with insurance think that they should be entitled to all medical means regardless of costs.
Fundamental reform in healthcare for sure is needed, and I hope that Hillary will get it done the second time she tries.
