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Bad Medicine: Ruthless Health Care Policy in America

By Julie Winokur, AlterNet. Posted May 29, 2007.


Collateral Damage: Bad Medicine in Tennessee, a new film by Julie Winokur, explores the single largest Medicaid cuts in history -- a failed "reform" attempt that left 170,000 people without care almost overnight.
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When one of us hurts, all of us hurt. That's the message in Collateral Damage: Bad Medicine in Tennessee, a compelling 25-minute film by Julie Winokur of Talking Eyes Media. Collateral Damage captures the suffering caused by the single largest Medicaid cuts in history. It exposes the injustice of a ruthless health care policy that refuses to regulate the managed care organizations and puts people's lives at risk.

In 2005, when Governor Phil Bredesen of Tennessee announced he would reform his state's Medicaid program, people took him at his word. Little did they know that Bredesen's idea of reform meant cutting 170,000 people off the program almost overnight.

The size and speed of the cuts were unprecedented; the suffering they caused was immeasurable. The sickest, neediest people were denied medical care while the nation sat by and watched. Meanwhile, the Governor boasted to other heads of states about his success reigning in the rising cost of health care. This intense, moving film asks how, in the richest nation in the world, people can die every day because they lack access to health care.

Click the video to the right to see a trailer of the film.


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It is just capitalism in all of its glory
Posted by: wisegalah on May 29, 2007 5:13 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
When you have a motto 'In dollar we trust', when the societal measure of success is the amount of money you can accumulate then this story is what you can reasonably expect. It is a society in which those with the power (=money) have lives torn adrift from any sense what is of real value.
Oscar Wilde said it all when he described his society as one in which people "knew the price of everything and the value of nothing". That is the full extent of the moral compass of people like the Governor of Tennessee.

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Hypocrisy
Posted by: A. Burr on May 29, 2007 6:19 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
All our elected politicians in state and federal government have the best health care plans in the world, better than any socialist country; some of those very politicians make snide remarks about these "communistic” countries yet they enjoy the same type of benefits as those countries. All of the political class should be made to sign an agreement that they will not receive their special health care plans until all the people of America are receiving the same, or they will not get elected. If that happened, we'd see laws changed overnight.

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sick care
Posted by: snowhound on May 29, 2007 6:57 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
We're all doomed unless we personally decide to take charge of our own health. If you think the Medical or Pharmaceutical Industry has any interest in a healthy population, you are extremely naive. We could all start by doing our own research on nutritious food and stop following the politically correct nutritional propeganda that the media feeds us.

A good start would be:

http://www.westonaprice.org/index.html

Look at Western Medicine as a Cult and realize the time has come to free yourself from it.

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» RE: sick care Posted by: sheena2u
» RE: sick care Posted by: peacefullaim
movie shocker
Posted by: rinthy on May 29, 2007 10:02 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Several years ago, in a film starring Robert Redford as a reforming prison warden, a badly injured prisoner begs not to be taken to the infirmary. Redford's character, and the audience, are outraged to find that the man could be denied life saving medical treatment because he couldn't pay for it. It seemed bizarre at the time; a grotesque situation specific to a brutal prison system in a backward state

Cut to the real world in 2008. Anyone...from maimed soldiers to dying children... can be, and will be, denied life saving medical care absent their ability to pay for it. Like anything else in America, medicine has become a commodity, with a bottom line, and a mummer's parade of hand wringers who 'have no other choice,' but to slam shut the hospital doors.
We need more movies like this one, and fewer politicians like the governor of Tennessee.
Rinthy

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US Government not interested in health or welfare of American people.
Posted by: Mary Luketich on May 29, 2007 10:52 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This has been proven many times. The pharmaceutical companies, oil companies, banks, and other large corporate interests have run this country for a very long time... too long. Their lies are perpetuated by mainstream media and on our airwaves. Their interests are not in our benefit.

Time for Americans to learn to take their health and nutrition into their own hands. Learn to grown your own organic food and herbal medicines before its too late.

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2008 Republican Heath Care Plan Unveiled
Posted by: fanny666 on May 29, 2007 2:47 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
My health care plan
Posted by: wishninja on May 29, 2007 4:50 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Legalize weed, have a toke it will be all right. Health care costs would be cut in half

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ITS NOT AT ALL COMPLICATED
Posted by: Raymond Emerson on May 29, 2007 10:53 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
democracy in the United States does not exist. Back under Bill Clinton 70% of the American people polled in favor of a national health program. The 30% put up their money and won.

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freedom freedom to die
Posted by: richholland on May 29, 2007 11:04 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
those stupid socialistic countries had statehealthcare so an anticommunists no wants this.
During the fascistic regime of franco there was basic free health care, an american patriot nowants anything by state or free.
in all the industrial countries of the free world I know the workers have health care.
So to get rid of all the unwanted ,old and no working people we must implement the American system.
I do not understand the Iraqies are not happy with the American occupation.

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Impeach Cheney!
Posted by: sheena2u on May 30, 2007 12:00 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
About two years ago I saw Vice-President Dick Cheney on a television news show. He was being interviewed, and I was shocked to hear him state that before this administration's term was over that they would "reduce or eliminate all the Entitlement programs."

What kind of administration cuts the Traumatic Brain Injury fund for veterans with the full knowledge that is the number one injury for our soldiers? What kind of adminstration has, as an express goal, the elimination of the Entitlement programs? Its past time to get these bullies out of office who sell the American people down the river.

When Medicaid, and Entitlement programs, are cut at the federal level, the states then must cut services because they, alone, no longer can fund the services. So, it all comes back to corporate bullies like Cheney. If they run over and discard the veterans, the elderly, the indigent, the disabled then there is more money for them, and that is all they seem to care about.

Impeach Cheney! How long does his list of high crimes and misdemeanors have to be before we act? Enough with those who would do away with government of, by, and for the people. Wake up people! Let's take our country back! Call your congress person today and urge support of Cheney's impeachment, and tell them why we need the Entitlement programs and the safety nets. Tell them we are all citizens, and we all deserve care and a life of dignity. Tell them that we are Americans, and we are supposed to work together and care for those of us who need help. In any decent, civilized, society it is the right thing to do.

Millions were stolen by Iraqi officials, and there was no investigation. Our deficit is now in the trillions. Funding an illegal war has cost our treasury in the billions, and now we are indebted to other nations. Bush came into office with a national surplus. This indebtedness puts our freedom at risk. Giving unnecessary tax breaks to the most wealthy of us and, paying for it on the backs of those who are most vulnerable, and disenfranchised, is a national disgrace.

Is this how we want our money spent, and our country run? Much harm has been done to America by the Bush administration, and Cheney is the chief puppeteer. Impeach Cheney!

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» Cheney! Posted by: zipper696
» RE: Cheney! Posted by: Sushi
The Problem is So Much More Widespread than This, Too ...
Posted by: stitchwitched on May 30, 2007 2:22 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I can't get BASIC first-line treatment to determine if a lump in my breast is something to worry about or not. I mean, I can't even get a doctor to biopsy it. Part of my story is here, and the worst part is, I'm far from alone. I'm getting get two to three hits per day from searches saying something similar to this: "breast lump not showing on mammogram or ultrasound." Based on the comment one woman left on my blog the first day my post went up, I guarantee that some of the women coming to my blog for answers and or I DO have breast cancer. Women are NOT getting the basic care they need anywhere in the US, and there is simply no excuse for it.

Also please don't miss this story about a veteran . After much of the news you've heard lately, it probably won't surprise you, but maybe you'll be able to help do something about it.

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Gov Bredesen is a Disgrace to the Nation
Posted by: drricklippin on May 31, 2007 7:35 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Julie Winokor

Thanks for making the film about this cruel and inhumane action by a US Governor

While I personally DO believe in cost containment it must be done in a fair and compassionate manner. Mostly through incremental individual AND institutional prevention.

This action in Tennesee was anything but fair and compassionate.

Breseden is a disgrace and should be vilified Maybe even impeached!

Dr.Rick Lippin
http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

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Correction
Posted by: susanhathaway on Jun 3, 2007 2:55 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
That's "reining" in high costs, as in reining in a runaway horse.

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