The Analysis of The Episode "Sick Around America"

“Sick Around America” Discussion

My first reaction after watching the episode of frontline, “Sick around America” is really scandalous since I was not aware of how the American healthcare system worked. For instance, the case of Melinda Williams whom was four months pregnant and was bleeding, her baby got saved but the cost was extremely high since it kept going up monthly (bill). I had a reaction of relief when it mentioned how Microsoft paid the whole bill (pregnancy/hospital), because Mark was a customer of Microsoft, although not all corporations cover insurance (private). Also, switching insurances is the best option, although you can lose your healthcare coverage, job, or lifetime health benefits.

Most Americans will try their best to get a good job and with better health benefits. Private or not private companies can really cheat over people with high monthly bills, especially with insurance companies. Also, I had an astonishment reaction knowing/learning that insurance companies will have special condition/policies to those who are either sick or previously, not allowing one to have insurance with them because of illness/sickness (history). It was interesting how there were a lot of examples on how people lost their insurance or healthcare due to companies/personal problems. Most of the time people have to leave/resign their jobs, all because of their expensive bills and look for a better insurance that is less expensive and with beneficial benefits.

It was also attention-grabbing how healthy Americans who don’t have any existing medical conditions/illness (history) receive or have the opportunity for a special health plan in which they can chose. For example, the consumer directed health plan which is mainly targeted towards Americans and plus cheap enough for anyone with a tight budget, or is trying to survive with a minimum budget/income. Although it is not so special (consumer directed plan). Since, a case showed how Campbell left a job in which she was paid really well In order to be at L.A and take care of her mother who had Alzheimer.

So she had to pay 40% of any hospital bills. Campbell later on got appendicitis and so had to get surgery. Although her insurance had paid off all the operation, she had to pay 6,000 dollars (bill) and so she struggled and had to pay everything with credit cards later on. It is totally sad seeing how one cannot do anything because it’s all based on the government (responsibility) to do something.

Conclusion

Helping out society/citizens to have a good healthcare/insurance, and not just give them monthly expensive bills, which at the for most companies it all ends and leads to the most common thing which was mentioned throughout the video, bankruptcy. I had a surprise reaction of seeing how supposedly one would think that if you buy insurance/healthcare plan (coverage) it would help you out (aid) in case of any accident, and if you go to the hospital that would take care of it (healthcare plan), not just charge you with extremely high bills month after month.

It should instead be free because that is the main reason you pay for a healthcare plan, to cover you, for any rare incident/accident that might occur in a future, not just charge with monthly overprice bills. Toward the end of the video, it mentions how the last president (Obama) reduced/implemented a healthcare which was benefited for most Americans (Obamacare), plus he lowered expensive healthcare costs.