CULTURA Y SOCIEDADES DE LA LENGUA INGLESA B-I

SICKO by Michael Moore [48:10]

I. BEFORE THE SCREENING
1. Write a definition or explain the meaning of each of these terms:
Landfill: waste burial
Hitman: hired murderer
Copay(ment) and deductible
Bone marrow: mdula
Drugs: medicines
Board of trustees
Eligible for insurance
HMO:Health Maintenance
Organization
Life threatening
Sassy and sexy: atrevida y
sexy
Denial letter
AMA: American Medical
Association
Yeast infection: fungal condition of
Cash: bills and coins
the female genitalia
Preexistent condition
To get their cut
2. Document yourself. Visit the following web site on healthcare and medicine,
and read about the topics we are going to cover in class: National Medical
coverage in the US, health care in the UK, private vs. public medicine and the main
illnesses vocabulary. http://www.medicinenet.com
II. DURING THE SCREENING
1. How many Americans do not have healthcare insurance? How many of
them do?
More than 50m people.
250m people have healthcare insurance.
2. Who is moving day for? Why?
Larry and Donna Smith. They lived well, they have good jobs and all their
children went to good universities until she was diagnosed cancer and he had
several heart attacks. Now they cannot afford to pay their house and they have
to move to their daughters house.
3. How old is Frank? Why is he still working?
Frank is 79 years old and he is still working because in spite of the fact that he
is insured by Medicare he and his wife cannot afford all the medicines they
need. In this way, the medicines are free for him.
4. What happened to Laura? Her case was not preapproved, why?
She had a collision and she got unconscious, so the doctor took her to the
hospital in the ambulance. Her insurance company tld her that they wouldnt
pay her because her case hadnt been preapproved. But when was she going
to try to approve it?
5. What note did Michael Moore post in the internet?
He posted a note in Internet asking people who could told him some
experiences with insurances companies.
6. Cigna changed its mind with Annette case. How?

EGEA / Fuentes Culturales / 2

The father of Annette had a contact with Michael about her daughter case and
when he sent a letter to Cigna telling them that he would speak about them in
the documentary. Thats why they decided to change its mind and to pay for the
implements the girl needed.
7. What was Beckys job?
She was in charge of keep sick people away from one of the biggest insurance
companies in the U.S. She receives call of people who want to have a
healthcare insurance.
8. Name some of the American Insurance companies mentioned.
Cigna Healthcare, HMOs, Aetna, Humana, PS Family Healthcare, Horizon Blue
Cross
9. Who is Linda Pino? What percentage of denial did she have to mantain?
She was a medical reviewer for HUMANA, but she left her work because she
was against the way this company did business. She had to maintain a 10% of
denial.
10. Why did BlueCross deny Tracy Harris treatment?
Because they discovered that in the past she had had a ? infection, that she
had not talked about because it was not an important disease.
11. Tracys cancer could be cured using a relatives bone marrow. Who?
His brother was a perfect donor for him.
12. Linda Pino mentions the deadly word: ___denied______.
13. What president started with the HMO new plans? When?
Richard Nixon, 18th February, 1971
14. Who was named chair of the President Task Force on National Health
Reform?
The first lady, Hilary Clinton.
15. How many health care lobbies are there compared to members of
congress?
There are four health care lobbies for each member of congress.
16. Hilary Clinton was a recipient ofHealth Care Industry contributions.
17. The film moves to Detroit. Where does Adrian Campbell have to go?
Why?
She is a single mother who was came up with cancer and her insurance
company denied her to pay thee treatment because she was too young to have
cancer, so she have decided to go to Canada, where she have married a friend
in order to receive for free the treatment she need.
18. What do Michaels relatives do at Sears?
They are buying an insurance because they are going to travel to the US to see
him, and they do not want to be forced to paid a huge quantity of money if
something serious happen there.

EGEA / Fuentes Culturales / 3

19. What happened to Larry in Florida?

He had a golfing accident. His biceps muscle was released and he went to the
hospital. Doctors said to him that the surgery would cost $24,000 and he
decided to travel to Canada, where he could be operated for free.
20. What are Michaels ironical questions to Larry about Canadian medicine?
Why he expected that the rest of Canadians would pay for his operation? Larry
answered that he would do the same for any other person and that people
should take care of those who cannot afford to pay even the taxes that provide
them the national healthcare system.
He also asked what party he is member of and he said that he was
conservative.
21. What other examples of national medicine are shown? How does the film
end?
Other examples of national medicine shown were the French, the English and
the Cuban one.
Michael Moore decided to help a man who had a blog where he criticized him,
in order to demonstrate that that man deserved to be helped with his wife but
also to continue having that blog.
He took his laundry and went to the Capitol and tried to make them do his
laundry.
III. AFTER THE SCREENING
1. The film starts with the introduction of a few personal stories. Why do you
think Moore use this film strategy?
2. The notion of the American Dream is presented ironically through the film.
Explain how.
People who can afford to pay for a healthcare insurance and who hasnt got
any economic problem.
3. How are the evils of socialized medicine presented?