Sicko
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2008-07-12T23:19:43Z
Intershark
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{{Infobox Film
| name = Sicko
| image = Sickoposter.jpg
| caption = ''Sicko'' theatrical poster
| director = [[Michael Moore]]
| writer = Michael Moore
| producer = Michael Moore
| starring = Michael Moore
| distributor = [[The Weinstein Company]]<br />[[Lions Gate Entertainment|Lionsgate]] (theatrical)
| released = {{flagicon|USA}} [[June 22]], [[2007]]
| language = [[English language|English]], [[French language|French]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]]
| budget = $9,000,000 US<ref>
{{cite web
| year = 2007
| title = Sicko - Box office / business
| publisher = [[Internet Movie Database]]
| url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386032/business
| accessdate = 2008-01-24
}}
</ref>
| website = http://www.sicko-themovie.com/
| amg_id = 1:352610
| imdb_id = 0386032
}}
{{otheruses|Sicko (disambiguation)}}
'''''Sicko''''' is a [[2007 in film|2007]] [[documentary film]] by filmmaker [[Michael Moore]] that investigates the [[American health care system]], focusing on its [[health insurance]] and [[pharmaceutical industry]]. The film compares the for-profit, non-universal U.S. system with the non-profit [[Universal Health Care]] systems of [[Canadian and American health care systems compared|Canada]], the [[National Health Service|United Kingdom]], [[France#Public health|France]] and [[Cuba]].
''Sicko'' opened to positive reviews, but also generated criticism and controversy. Some policy specialists have praised the film while others have criticized the film for its positive portrayal of the [[Publicly funded health care|publicly funded health systems]] of [[Canada]], the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Cuba]], and for its negative portrayal of the health care system in the United States.
''Sicko'' was made on a budget of approximately $9 million,<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/20/movies/20sick.html Cieply, Michael; "Some Cities Will Get Early Look at ‘Sicko’"; nytimes.com; [[June 20]], [[2007]].]</ref> and grossed $24.5 million theatrically in the [[United States]].<ref>[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=sicko.htm Box Information for ''Sicko'' at boxofficemojo.com]</ref> This box office result met the official expectation of [[The Weinstein Company]], which hoped for a gross in line with ''[[Bowling for Columbine]]'''s $21.5 million [[United States|US]] box office gross.<ref>[http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117966667.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 Hayes, Dadd; "TWC, Moore stand behind 'Sicko'"; variety.com; [[June 11]], 2007]</ref>
==Synopsis==
Fifty million Americans are uninsured, and those who are covered (whom Moore states at the beginning are what the film is about rather than the uninsured) are subject to becoming victims of insurance company [[fraud]] and [[red tape]], with real case costs shown ranging from loss of fingertips or coverage to loss of life. [[Interview]]s are conducted with both people who have been denied care who thought they had adequate coverage as well as former employees of insurance companies who describe [[Spend management|cost-cutting]] initiatives that encourage bonuses for insurance company physicians to deny medical treatments for policy holders.
Moving to [[Canada]], Moore then describes the case of [[Tommy Douglas]], who was voted the [[Greatest Canadian]] in 2004 for his contributions to the [[Healthcare in Canada|Canadian health system]], and interviews a [[microsurgeon]] and people waiting in the [[Emergency Room|emergency room]] of a Canadian public hospital.
The history of health care debate in the U.S. is explained, with the stance against [[universal health care]] systems set against the backdrop of 1950s-style [[anti-communist]] propaganda. A [[1960]]s record distributed by the [[American Medical Association]] and narrated by [[Ronald Reagan]] is cited, which claimed universal health care could lead to [[communism]]. Moore cites examples such as the American [[police]], [[fire service]], [[United States Postal Service|postal service]], [[public education]] and [[public library|community libraries]], which are said to be "socialized" services and have not led to communism. Further evidence of the origins of the [[Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973]] are presented using a taped conversation between [[John Ehrlichman]] and President [[Richard Nixon]] on February 17, 1971; Ehrlichman is heard telling Nixon that "...the less care they give them, the more money they make", a plan that Nixon remarked "appeals to me". This led to the expansion of the modern [[HMO]]-based health care system. Connections are highlighted between [[Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America]] (PhRMA), the lobbying arm of the largest drug companies in the United States, lobbying groups in [[Washington D.C.]], and the [[United States Congress]]. [[Hillary Clinton]], who once championed the [[Clinton health care plan]], is cited as the Senate's second-highest recipient of health care industry campaign donations.
Moving to the [[United Kingdom]], another country with a comprehensive free healthcare system (the [[National Health Service]]), Moore interviews patients and inquires about in-hospital expenses incurred by patients, only to be told laughingly that there are no [[out-of-pocket expenses|out-of-pocket payments]]. Moore visits a UK pharmacy, where [[pharmaceutical]]s are free of charge for persons under 16 or over 60, and subsidized in most cases for everyone else; only a fixed amount of £6.65 per prescription is charged (about $13 U.S.), irrespective of cost to the [[NHS]]. Further, NHS hospitals employ a cashier, part of whose job is to ''reimburse'' low-income patients for their out-of-pocket travel costs to the hospital. Interviews include an NHS [[general practitioner]], an American woman residing in [[London]], and [[Tony Benn]], a [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] politician and former [[Member of Parliament]]. Benn compares any attempt to dismantle the NHS with reversing [[women's suffrage]] and says it would result in a [[revolution]].
In [[France]], Moore interviews the head of [[obstetrics and gynaecology]] in a French hospital, and a group of Americans living in France. He also rides with "SOS Médecins", a 24-hour French medical service that provides house calls by physicians.<ref name=jcohn>{{cite news | last =Cohn| first =Jonathan| title =Shticko| publisher =''[[The New Republic]]''| date= 2007-07-020| url =http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20070702&s=cohn-mall070207| accessdate = 2007-07-21 }}</ref> The French government provides social services such as [[day care]] for $1 an hour and neonatal support that includes cooking, cleaning, and laundry services for new mothers.
Returning to the [[United States]], interviews disclose that [[September 11, 2001 attacks|9/11]] rescue workers who volunteered [[Rescue and recovery effort after the September 11, 2001 attacks|after the September 11, 2001 attacks]] were denied government funds to care for [[Health effects arising from the September 11, 2001 attacks|physical and psychological maladies]] they subsequently developed, including [[respiratory disease]] and [[PTSD]]. Unable to receive and afford medical care in the U.S., the 9/11 rescue workers, as well as all of Moore's friends in the film needing medical attention, sail from [[Miami]] to [[Cuba]] on three speedboats in order to obtain free medical care provided for the [[enemy combatant]]s detained at the U.S. [[Guantanamo Bay detainment camp]]. The group arrives at the entrance channel to "Gitmo" and Moore uses a [[megaphone]] to request access, pleading for the 9/11 victims to receive treatment that is on par with the medical attention the "evildoers" are receiving. The attempt ceases when a siren is blown from the base, and the group moves on to [[Havana]], where they purchase inexpensive medicine and receive free medical treatment.<ref name="inthenews">{{cite news
| last =
| first =
| title =Moore unveils Sicko at Cannes
| publisher =InTheNews.co.uk
| date= 2007-05-14
| url =http://www.inthenews.co.uk/entertainment/film/moore-unveils-sicko-at-cannes-$1086968.htm
| accessdate = 2007-05-23 }}</ref> Providing only their name and birth date, the volunteers are hospitalized and receive medical attention.
Moore then addresses the audience himself, emphasizing that he feels people should be "taking care of each other, no matter the differences". To demonstrate his personal commitment to this theme, Moore sends an anonymous US $12,000 check to Jim Kenefick, webmaster of MooreWatch, which he describes as "the biggest anti-Moore website on the Internet". Moore shows the blog entries from Kenefick saying he would have to shut down the website because he needed US $12,000.00 to pay for his wife Donna's medical treatment.<ref>[http://www.moorewatch.com/index.php/weblog/i_need_a_christmas_miracle "I need a Christmas miracle"; MooreWatch, [[December 21]], [[2004]].]</ref> Moore explained that he did not want the health care system to trump Kenefick's ability to express his opinion.
==Release==
''Sicko'' premiered on [[May 19]] [[2007]] at the [[2007 Cannes Film Festival]], receiving a 15-minute standing ovation<ref>{{cite web
| title = Sicko: Secrets de tournage
| publisher = ''Allociné''
| url = http://www.allocine.fr/film/anecdote_gen_cfilm=54503.html
| accessdate = 2007-10-02
}}</ref> from 2,000 people at the Grand Theatre Lumiere.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cbc.ca/arts/film/story/2007/05/19/moore-cannes-sicko.html | title=Michael Moore's Sicko gets audience thumbs-up at Cannes | publisher=CBC | work=CBC Arts | accessdate=2007-05-21}}</ref> The North American premiere of ''Sicko'' was held in [[London, Ontario]] (where some scenes from the movie were filmed) at the [[Cineplex Entertainment|Silver City]] movie theatre at [[Masonville Place]] on [[June 8]] [[2007]], with Moore in attendance.<ref>''Sicko'' features patients from the London, Ontario area.</ref> It also had an early premiere in [[Washington D.C.]] on June 20, two days before its U.S. release, with Moore appearing at a [[Capitol Hill]] press conference to promote the film.<ref name="WBJ1">{{cite news
| last = Hoover
| first = Kent
| title = Michael Moore visits Capitol Hill to promote 'Sicko'
| work = Health Care - Health Insurance
| publisher = ''[[Washington Business Journal]]''
| date= 2007-06-20
| url = http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2007/06/18/daily35.html
| accessdate = 2007-10-02 }}</ref>
The European premiere was held in [[Great Britain]] on [[October 24]], [[2007]] at the [[Odeon Leicester Square]] as part of the 51st [[London Film Festival]]. Moore was to introduce the film, but remained in America due to a 'family issue,' sending a lengthy letter to be read in his stead. Part of the letter gave thanks to the Rt Hon [[Tony Benn]], featured in the film, who delivered a succinct speech before the showing.
===Box office===
Made on a budget of $9 million [[USD]],<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/24/us/politics/24sicko.html Sack, Kevin; "For Filmmaker, ‘Sicko’ Is a Jumping-Off Point for Health Care Change "; nytimes.com; [[June 24]], 2007]</ref> ''Sicko'' earned $4.5 million on its opening weekend.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Jul01/0,4670,BoxOffice,00.html | title='Ratatouille' Swarms Weekend Box Office | publisher=FOXNews.com | accessdate=2007-07-02}}</ref> In 441 theaters, it took in an average of $10,204 per theater, the second highest average gross of the weekend. As of February 24, 2008, ''Sicko'' has grossed $24,540,079 in the [[United States]] and $11,105,296 in foreign markets. It has been named the third-highest grossing documentary in the USA since 1982 excluding concert movies, [[reality films]], and "[[IMAX|large-format]]" documentaries.<ref>{{cite web
| title =Documentary Movies
| work =Genres
| publisher =[[Box Office Mojo]]
| date= 2007
| url =http://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=documentary.htm
| accessdate =2007-09-07 }}</ref>
===Critical reaction===
[[Image:Sicko at the Cannes FF by tangi bertin on May 19, 2007.jpg|right|thumb|250px|''Sicko'' at the Cannes Film Festival receiving a standing ovation]]
The review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reported that 93% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 181 reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sicko/ |title=Sicko - Rotten Tomatoes |accessdate=2008-01-05 |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> [[Metacritic]] reported the film had an average score of 74 out of 100, based on 39 reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/sicko |title=Sicko (2007): Reviews |accessdate=2008-01-05 |publisher=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref> After its Cannes release, ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' described ''Sicko'' as "an affecting and entertaining dissection of the American health care industry".<ref name="variety">{{cite web | url=http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117933678.html?categoryid=31&cs=1 | publisher=Reed | work=Variety | accessdate=2007-05-19 | author=Alissa Simon | title=Review: Sicko}}</ref>
In an early review a week before the premiere, [[Richard Roeper]] and [[Michael Phillips (critic)|Michael Phillips]] gave the film [[At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper|two thumbs up]]. Roger Friedman of [[Fox News Channel|Fox News]] called the film a "brilliant and uplifting new documentary" and praised Moore for the way in which he lets "very articulate average Americans tell their personal horror stories at the hands of insurance companies" and "criticizes both [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] and [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] for their inaction and in some cases their willingness to be bribed by pharmaceutical companies and insurance carriers."<ref>{{cite news
| last =Friedman
| first =Roger
| title ='Sicko' Shows Michael Moore's Maturity as a Filmmaker
| work =Entertainment
| publisher =[[Fox News Channel]]
| date= 2007-05-20
| url =http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,273875,00.html
| accessdate =2007-08-03 }}</ref>
British film magazine ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' praised Moore's [[filmmaking]] and personal artistic vision, exclaiming "''Sicko'' is the film that truly reveals Moore as an [[auteur theory|auteur]]."<ref name="empire">{{cite web | url=http://www.empireonline.com/features/cannes2007/ | publisher=Empire | title=No Country For Old Men and Sicko | accessdate=2007-05-19}}</ref>
[[David Denby (film critic)|David Denby]] of the ''[[The New Yorker|New Yorker]]'' called the film "feeble, even inane"<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2007/07/02/070702crci_cinema_denby | title=New Yorker review of ''Sicko''.|accessdate=2007-07-10}}</ref>, but film critic Stephen Schaefer of the ''[[Boston Globe]]'' described ''Sicko'' as "a very strong and very honest documentary about a health system that's totally corrupt and that is without any care for its patients."<ref name="HeraldSun">{{cite news
| last = Burleigh
| first = Marc
| title = Sicko debut for Michael Moore
| publisher = ''[[Herald Sun]]''
| date= 2007-05-19
| url = http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21761631-5005961,00.html
| accessdate = 2007-10-01 }}</ref>
The film was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Documentary Feature]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i587be3b0ca27043557eff60b69803664 | title=Shortlist for docu Oscar unveiled |accessdate=2007-12-21|date=2007-11-20|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> Sicko was commended in the [[Australian Film Critics Association]] 2007 Film Award for Best Documentary.
Marjorie Baumgarten of ''[[The Austin Chronicle]]'' named it the 8th best film of 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/awards/2007/toptens.shtml |title=Metacritic: 2007 Film Critic Top Ten Lists |accessdate=2008-01-05 |publisher=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref>
==Response==
===Media===
''Sicko'' received a standing ovation when it premiered at the [[2007 Cannes Film Festival]]. Some Canadian journalists attending the premiere were less complimentary, objecting to the utopian depiction of the Canadian health care system.<ref>{{cite news
| last = Howell
| first = Peter
| title = Canadian media needle Sicko
| publisher = ''[[Toronto Star]]''
| date= 2007-05-20
| url = http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/215801
| accessdate = 2007-10-30
}}</ref>
[[Roger Ebert]] gave the film three and a half out of four stars, observing that Moore was less "cocky" than in his previous films, and placed less emphasis on humor. Ebert opined that the film would strike a chord with anyone whose family has experienced a serious illness, regardless of political persuasion.<ref>[http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070628/REVIEWS/70620003/1023 Roger Ebert's review of ''Sicko'' at rogerebert.suntimes.com; [[June 29], 2007.]</ref>
[[WBAI|WBAI Radio]], part of the [[Pacifica Radio Network]], reported that ''Sicko'' was revitalizing the debate for universal health care within the United States, calling the film "adrenaline for healthcare activists." It named individuals and entities ranging from U.S. Congressman [[John Conyers]], Jr., to the [[California Nurses Association]]. It reported that the latter "began traveling the country to leaflet moviegoers as
''Sicko'' opens in theaters to support a 'single-payer' health care system."<ref name="wbai-pacifica">{{Cite web|url=http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2007/07/87877.html|title="SICKO": Damn Those Insurance Companies, Where The Heck Are They When You’re Sick?"|accessdate=2007-07-08|publisher=WBAI Radio, New York| quote=Audio available at [http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=23784 Building Bridges: Michael Moore Interview - Sicko] }}.</ref>
[[John Stossel]] of ABC's ''[[20/20]]'' wrote an article in the ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' on September 13, 2007 entitled "Sick Sob Stories", that claimed Julie Pierce's husband, Tracy, featured in ''Sicko'', would not have been saved by the bone marrow transplant denied by his insurer, arguing that the history of treatment of cancer patients with bone-marrow transplants has shown it to be unreliable, citing a 1999 report by the American Society of Clinical Oncology showing it to be ineffective. Stossel also questioned whether this treatment would have been given in a socialized system, citing rationing long waiting lists in Canada and Britain.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Sick Sob Stories
| publisher = Wall Street Journal
| date = 2007-09-13
| url = http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118964470258225901.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
| accessdate = 2008-02-04
}}</ref> Julie Pierce claimed Stossel never contacted her or her husband's doctors, and that the insurer denied other treatments as well. Pierce argued that Stossel's statements were based on outdated studies on breast cancer, not kidney cancer, which is what her husband had, and that this became a last option only after their insurer repeatedly denied other treatments, citing doctors at the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at the [[University of Kansas]] Hospital who referred to past successes when opining that it could have saved Tracy Pierce. Pierce questioned Stossel's assertion that Tracy would not have received this in a socialized system, arguing that they are performed more frequently in Canada than in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web
| title = An Open Letter to John Stossel
| publisher = MichaelMoore.com
| date= 2007-09-15
| url = http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/news/article.php?id=10226
| accessdate = 2007-09-21
}}</ref> Stossel, despite conceding that health care in the U.S. is a "mess", disputed Pierce's claim about Canadian transplants, citing The Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, which reports 16,700 U.S. transplants in 2006 versus 1,520 in Canada, with a 16% greater incidence of transplants per capita. Stossels related testimony from a dozen Canadian medical organizations that indicated it was unlikely to be performed in Canada with any frequency, given the underwhelming results of clinical trials.<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/story?id=3649791&page=1 Stossel, John; "Stossel Responds to 'Sicko' Letter: '20/20' Anchor Defends Position on U.S. Health Care System"; [[September 25]], [[2007]].]</ref>
In a ''[[20/20]]'' report Stossel provided evidence that typical Cubans citizens receive poor health care, and only richer ones who can pay for the care shown in ''Sicko'' receive it. When Moore cited a [[United Nations]] report that contradicted this, Stossel pointed out that the U.N. merely repeated what the Cuban government reported, and cited how dictatorships are known to suppress unfavorable information. Stossel also showed testimonials that lower Cuban infant mortality rates are due to the fact that pregnant women are often given abortions if the fetus shows any sign of problems, and infants who die hours after birth are not recorded in mortality rates. When Moore claimed the [[C.I.A.]] corroborated his assertions, Stossel responded that the C.I.A. denied this, and that their data contradict Moore's assertion.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-8TcpOz6A4 Segment of ''20/20'' story on ''Sicko'', and interview with Moore] at [[YouTube]].</ref>
In an article published in both ''[[The New Yorker]]'' and ''[[Reason Magazine]]'', Michael C. Moynihan calls the film "touching, naïve and maddeningly mendacious, a clumsy piece of agitprop that will likely have little lasting effect on the health care debate".<ref name=Moynihan>{{cite web
| url = http://www.reason.com/news/show/120998.html
| publisher = ''[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]''
| title = Michael Moore's Shticko:His health care jeremiad won't win any converts
| author = Michael Moynihan
| accessdate = 2007-07-07
}}</ref> Yet in another article in the ''[[The New Yorker]]'', "Sick and Twisted",
[[Atul Gawande]], states "his movie about the American health-care system, ''Sicko'', is a revelation. And what makes this especially odd to say is that the movie brings to light nothing that the media haven’t covered extensively for years."<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2007/07/23/070723taco_talk_gawande
| title = Sick and Twisted
| publisher = The New Yorker
| author = Atul Gawande
| accessdate=2007-08-25
}}</ref>
MTV's [[Kurt Loder]] criticized what he perceived as the film's cherry-picked facts, manipulative interviews, and unsubstantiated assertions, such as the assertion that 18,000 people will die each year because of no insurance. (A 2002 ''[[USA Today]]'' story on an Institute of Medicine report, however, corroborates this assertion.<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/healthcare/2002-05-22-insurance-deaths.htm Sternberg, Steve; "18,000 deaths blamed on lack of insurance"; usatoday.com; [[May 22]], [[2002]].]</ref>) While admitting that the U.S. health care system needs reform, Loder criticized Moore’s advocacy of government control, arguing that many services controlled by the government are not considered efficient by the American public. Loder points to a 2005 documentary, ''Dead Meat'', by Stuart Browning and Blaine Greenberg, which documents long waiting lists for care in Canada. Its subjects include people who became addicted to pain medication they were prescribed while waiting for surgery, who went to other countries for treatment, or who died while on the waiting lists. Loder points to calls for reform in Britain and France due to the same rationing, which Loder says has hurt France's economy. Loder also criticized Moore’s depiction of Cuba, and the human rights violations by its ruling regime. Loder points out that a Cuban doctor was imprisoned in the late 1990’s for criticizing the government for its failure to respond to a viral epidemic, and that when [[Fidel Castro]] became ill in 2006, he had a specialist flown in from [[Spain]].<ref>[http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1563758/story.jhtml Loder, Kurt; "Sicko': Heavily Doctored: Is Michael Moore's prescription worse than the disease?"; mtv.com; [[June 29]], [[2007]].]</ref>
On [[July 15]], 2007, [[Fox News]]'s [[Sean Hannity]] interviewed Stuart Browning, whose film, ''Uninsured in America'',<ref>[freemarketcure.com FreeMarketCure.com, the official site of the film ''Uninsured in America'']</ref> profiles Canadians placed on long waiting lists for care, including a cancer patient who was forced to go to the U.S. to receive an MRI scan to detect his cancer, and a woman who lost her bladder because she was on a three-year waiting list for a device that would've prevented this. Browning criticized Moore for showing Canadians who did not experience long waits for care, to the exclusion of those who did, asserting that the nature of Canada's system is widely known, though not in the U.S.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQy90VuJIDg Sean Hannity piece on ''Sicko'' on] [[YouTube]]</ref>
Michael Hodgberg of the ''[[American Spectator]]'' called the box office results for ''Sicko'' "a bit of a dud" because of Moore's previous box-office track record and "the attendant hype and publicity" surrounding the film, which drew only a fraction of the audience for Moore's previous films.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.spectator.org/blogger.asp?bwd=27&byear=2007#7008
|title = ''Sicko'', The Box Office
|publisher = [[American Spectator]]
|author = Michael Hodgberg
|date= 2007-07-02
|accessdate = 2007-07-27 }}</ref> [[The Weinstein Company]] stated before ''Sicko'' was released that they did not expect the film to do as well as ''[[Fahrenheit 9/11]]''.<ref>{{cite web
|title = TWC, Moore stand behind 'Sicko'
|publisher = [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]
|author = Dade Hayes
|url = http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117966667.html?categoryid=10&cs=1
|date= 2007-06-11
|accessdate=2007-07-27 }}</ref>
[[Rich Lowry]], writing in the ''[[National Review]]'', accused Moore of distorting the differences between American and Canadian healthcare systems in order to further a "[[socialist]] agenda."<ref>{{cite news
| last = Lowry
| first = Rich
| author-link = Rich Lowry
| title = Moore "World of We"
| publisher = ''[[National Review]]''
| date= 2007-07-13
| url = http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZmY0ZGVjYjIyZjZmMDExZTJlYmY4MGFiZGQ4NjgwOGE
| accessdate = 2007-10-13
}}</ref>
===Industry===
In a letter responding to a ''Wall Street Journal'' op-ed by David Gratzer that was critical of the film,<ref>{{cite news
| last =Gratzer
| first =David
| title =Who's Really Sicko?
| publisher =''[[The Wall Street Journal]]''
| date= 2007-28-06
| url =http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118299749082651013.html
| accessdate = 2007-08-07 }}</ref> Robert S. Bell, M.D., President and CEO of University Health Network, Toronto, said that while Moore "exaggerated the performance of the Canadian health system," it provides universal coverage of a similar quality to that enjoyed by only some Americans.<ref>{{cite news
| last =Bell
| first =Robert S.
| title =Canadian and U.S. Health Services -- Let's Compare the Two
| work =Letters
| pages =A13
| publisher =''[[Wall Street Journal]]''
| date= 2007-07-09
| url =http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118394504633260585.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
| accessdate =2007-07-21 }}</ref> Michael Moore posted a leaked memo from a [[Blue Cross#List of Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies|Capital Blue Cross]] employee about the likely consequences of the film. The memo expresses concern that the movie turns people against Capital Blue Cross by linking it to abuses by for-profit [[Health Maintenance Organization|HMOs]].<ref>{{cite web
| authorlink = Michael Moore
| title = Leaked Internal Memo; 'SiCKO' Has Capital BlueCross Exec Scrambling to Respond
| work = News
| publisher = MichaelMoore.com
| date= 2007-07-06
| url = http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/news/article.php?id=9996
| accessdate = 2007-10-02
}}</ref>
A [[July 9]] [[2007]] broadcast of [[CNN]]'s ''[[The Situation Room]]'' aired a "fact check" segment by CNN's senior health correspondent Dr. [[Sanjay Gupta]] on ''Sicko''.<ref>{{cite episode
| title = "Sicko" and Some Facts Are Incorrect.
| url = http://edition.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/situation.room/
| credits = Wolf Blitzer, Michael Moore, Sanjay Gupta
| series = The Situation Room
| serieslink = The Situation Room
| network = [[CNN]]
| airdate = 2007-07-09
| transcripturl= http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0707/09/sitroom.03.html}}</ref> Immediately following the segment, Moore was interviewed live on CNN by [[Wolf Blitzer]].<ref>{{cite web
| title = Video of Michael Moore on CNN FactCheck Response
| url = http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2007/07/09/blitzer.michael.moore.cnn
| credits = Wolf Blitzer, Michael Moore, Sanjay Gupta
| network = [[CNN]]
| airdate = 2007-07-09
}}</ref> Moore stated that Gupta's report was inaccurate and biased. Moore posted a point-by-point response on his website.<ref>{{cite web
| title ='SiCKO' Truth Squad Sets CNN Straight
| work =SiCKO News
| publisher =MichaelMoore.com
| date= 2007-07-10
| url =http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/checkup/setting-the-record-straight/
| accessdate =2007-08-02 }}</ref> After a debate with Moore on ''[[Larry King Live]]'',<ref>{{cite web
| title = Larry King Live
| url = http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2007/07/11/lkl.gupta.moore.cnn
| airdate = 2007-07-11
| series = Larry King Live
| serieslink = Larry King Live
| network = [[CNN]]
}}</ref> Gupta posted a message about his position on ''Sicko'' and CNN's coverage.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/blogs/paging.dr.gupta/2007/07/my-conversation-with-michael-moore.html My conversation with Michael Moore], Sanjay Gupta, CNN.com, July 11, 2007, retrieved on July 11, 2007.</ref>
===Think tanks===
The [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] [[think tank]]s, such as the [[Manhattan Institute]], said that ''Sicko'' misrepresented the health systems of [[Canada]], the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Cuba]], and criticized it for its negative portrayal of the American health insurance system compared to these countries.<ref name="wp">{{cite news
| last = Howard
| first = Paul
| title = A Story Michael Moore Didn't Tell
| publisher = ''[[Washington Post]]''
| date= 2007-07-17
| url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/16/AR2007071601391.html
| accessdate = 2007-10-02
}}</ref><ref name="np">{{cite web
| last = Gratzer
| first = David
| authorlink = David Gratzer
| title = Who's the real sicko?
| work = [[Manhattan Institute]]
| publisher = ''[[National Post]]''
| date= 2007-07-06
| url = http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/_natlpost-whos_the_real_sicko.htm
| accessdate = 2007-10-13
}}</ref> Brett J. Skinner of the [[Fraser Institute]] said that healthcare in these countries is characterized by long waiting lists.<ref name="fri">{{cite web
| last = Skinner
| first = Brett J.
| title = Hidden costs of Canadian health care system
| work = [[Fraser Institute]]
| publisher = ''[[Chicago Sun Times]]''
| date= 2007-06-23
| url = http://www.fraserinstitute.org/commerce.web/article_details.aspx?pubID=4526
| accessdate = 2007-10-13
}}</ref> The [[National Center for Policy Analysis]], a conservative American [[think tank]], has also been critical of Moore's claims, focusing particularly on alleged lengthy waiting lists and purported unavailability of new treatments in the publicly-funded health systems of the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Canada]], an aspect of those systems which they allege Moore failed to address.<ref name="ncpa">{{cite web
| last = Goodman
| first = John C.
| authorlink = John C. Goodman
| title = Moore's "Sicko" Could Put Lives at Risk
| work = The Michael Moore Chronicles
| publisher = ''[[National Center for Policy Analysis]]''
| date= 2007-07-17
| url = http://sicko.ncpa.org/moores-sicko-could-put-lives-at-risk
| accessdate = 2007-10-13
}}</ref><ref name="dn">{{cite news
| last = Goodman
| first = John C.
| coauthors = John C. Goodman
| title = John Goodman: Film buffs may praise Moore's 'Sicko,' but policy buffs can see all its defects
| work = Opinion
| publisher = ''[[The Dallas Morning News]]''
| date= 2007-07-16
| url = http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/viewpoints/stories/DN-johngoodman_16edi.ART.State.Edition1.43606a9.html
| accessdate = 2007-10-13
}}</ref>
The nonpartisan [[Urban Institute]] (UI) largely agreed with Moore regarding the need for a universal health care system and failure of the current system. Urban Institute economist Linda Blumberg, stated that Moore correctly provides evidence that the current system fails and a universal system is needed, adding that any system will face budget constraints. Overall, Blumberg stated that "Americans as a whole have yet to buy the philosophy that health care is a right and not a privilege" and if Moore succeeded in popularizing the idea, he "will have done the country a tremendous service." Bradford Gary agrees with the main points made by Moore but criticizes the film for making various omissions and lacking attention to detail, stating that "though Moore is not interested in the details behind the outrages he has assembled, many of his fundamental points are nevertheless accurate."<ref name="UI">{{cite web|url=http://www.urban.org/Pressroom/sicko.cfm#gray|title=Urban Institute. (2007). ''UI Health Care Experts Comment on Sicko''.|accessdate=2007-12-14}}</ref>
===Moorewatch===
Regarding Moore's donation to Jim and Donna Kenefick of Moorewatch.com, while Donna Kenefick thanked Moore,<ref>[http://www.moorewatch.com/index.php/weblog/hello_my_name_is/ "Hello, my name is…"; moorewatch.com; [[June 20]], 2007]</ref> Jim Kenefick disputes Moore's account of these events, saying that his insurance would have paid for his wife's needs, that the danger faced by his sites occurred at an entirely different point in time than what was implied by Moore, and that his sites were in operation again thanks to reader donations long before he ever received Moore's check. Kenefick accuses Moore of presenting his words out of context in order to defame him, and both Kenefick and his administrator, Lee, criticize Moore for claiming to make this donation anonymously, only to highlight it in his film, for which they accuse him of being motivated by a desire for publicity and self-aggrandizement rather than altruism.
<ref>[http://www.moorewatch.com/index.php/weblog/comments/1658/ "Jim Kenefick and Moorewatch as presented by Michael Moore in Sicko"; [[June 12]], 2007.]</ref><ref>[http://www.moorewatch.com/index.php/weblog/comments/mikeys_motive/ "Mikey's Motive"; moorewatch.com June 20, 2007.]</ref>
==Legal controversy==
==== Piracy ====
Although the film was released on [[June 29]] [[2007]], a copy was leaked onto the Internet earlier that month.<ref name="youtubepirated">{{cite news
| last =Goldstein
| first =Gregg
| title =Pirated "Sicko" surfaces on YouTube
| publisher = Reuters
| date= 2007-06-18
| url =http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN1834856020070618?feedType=RSS&rpc=22&pageNumber=1
| accessdate = 2007-06-18 }}</ref> Moore, who previously stated his support for Internet downloading, denies leaking the video himself, and an investigation was made into the source of the Internet leak.<ref>Gregg Goldstein. [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ib6d2c95cdf6b2ef37a85f5a151f1da7b 'Sicko' leaks have studios crying malpractice]. June 19, 2007.</ref> When asked about the leak, Moore said, "I'm just happy that people get to see my movies. I'm not a big supporter of copyright laws in this country…I don't understand bands or filmmakers…who oppose sharing, hav[ing] their work being shared by people, because it only increases your fanbase…I've always been happy in the past when teenagers have downloaded pirated copies of my movies…they've been downloading them and sharing them, and I think that's great."<ref>{{Citation
| last =MTV.com
| title =Michael Moore Brushes Off 'Sicko' Leak
| url =http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1562871&vid=157736
| accessdate =2007-07-12 }}</ref>
==== Treasury Department probe ====
[[Image:MichaelMooreSicko.jpg|thumb|250px|Michael Moore while trying to get access to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba]]
In a [[May 2]], [[2007]] letter, the [[Office of Foreign Assets Control]] informed Moore that he was the subject of a civil investigation stemming from the filmmaker's March trip to Cuba. In the letter to Moore, a Treasury official noted that the department had no record of Moore obtaining a license that authorized him to "engage in travel-related transactions involving Cuba," alleging that Moore violated the [[United States embargo against Cuba]].<ref name = "investigation"> {{cite web
| title =Uncle Sam Probes Michael Moore (Treasury Department investigating director's unauthorized Cuba trip)
| work =thesmokinggun.com
| url =http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0510071moore1.html
| accessdate=2007-05-11
}}</ref><ref name="cuba">{{cite web
| title =Michael Moore In Trouble For Cuba Trip (Treasury Investigation; Moore Took Sept. 11 Workers To Banned Island For Treatment)
| work =www.michaelmoore.com
| url =http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mikeinthenews/index.php?id=9778
| accessdate=2007-05-14
}}</ref>
A duplicate master copy of the film was being held in Canada should an attempt have been made by American authorities to seize the film as part of the investigation against Moore that arose from taking the American 9/11 rescue workers to Cuba for medical treatment.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN1119539820070611 | publisher=Reuters | title=Moore fears film seizure after Cuba trip | work=www.reuters.com | accessdate=2007-07-11}}</ref> Moore has said that if any trip to Cuba is for [[journalism]] reasons, the [[U.S.]] allows it. Moore states that his intentions were to travel to the [[Guantánamo Bay Naval Base|US Naval base in Guantánamo Bay]]. Upon Moore's arrival at [[Guantánamo Bay]], a [[Siren (noisemaker)|siren]] was sounded and Moore decided to turn around for safety.
On the ''[[The Tonight Show]]'', Moore reported that he was notified that a [[subpoena]] regarding his trip to Cuba had already been issued. According to an anonymous source at Reuters, Moore has not been served; rather, the government contacted his attorney, [[David Boies]], to discuss the logistics of serving a subpoena.<ref name=Reuters729>{{cite web | url=http://www.reuters.com/article/peopleNews/idUSN2725763420070727 | publisher=Reuters | title=U.S. officials may subpoena filmmaker Moore | work=www.reuters.com | accessdate=2007-07-29}}</ref>
== Deleted scenes ==
Moore filmed but did not use several scenes from the section about health care in the [[United Kingdom]]. According to Moore, "There's footage of a homeless shelter in Britain where you get [[acupuncture]] and foot massages. And I had a scene in [[France]], interviewing a woman who works for [[General Electric]], who tells me they all get benefits that GE employees don't get in the [[United States]]."<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.metroactive.com/metro/06.27.07/michael-moore-0726.html
| accessdate = 2007-08-25
| date= 2007-07-03
| title = Moore in Motion
| publisher = Metroactive
}}</ref>
In addition to filming the health care systems of Canada, the United Kingdom and France, Moore also filmed scenes in [[Norway]], whose health care system is supervised by the [[Norwegian Board of Health Supervision]]. Norway was removed from the film because its health care system possess numerous benefits similar to the French system. For example, Norwegian patients treated for an illness like [[psoriasis]] or [[rheumatism]] are eligible for two weeks paid vacation at a spa in the [[Canary Islands]].<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.grand-canary.com/asthma-allergy-health.htm
| title = Test apartment on the Canary Islands in cases of asthma, allergies, fatigue and health problems
| accessdate = 2007-08-25
}}</ref> Norway hires a government [[ethicist]] to determine how to invest government funds, because they want to do it in an ethical way.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.metroactive.com/metro/06.27.07/michael-moore-0726.html
| accessdate = 2007-08-25
| date= 2007-07-03
| title = Moore in Motion
| publisher = Metroactive
}}</ref>
A scene in which Moore visits a Norwegian island prison, [[Bastøy Prison]], in which inmates reside in small group homes and focus on rehabilitation through manual labor and farming, was also cut.
Additional deleted scenes include interviews with [[Marcia Angell]], former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, in which she criticized various practices of pharmaceutical companies and the Federal Drug Administration.
Executive producer [[Harvey Weinstein]] asked Moore to remove a scene critical of Hillary Clinton, but Moore refused. Weinstein, whose company provided financing for the film, is a friend of the Clinton family.<ref name="WP_Akers">{{cite news
| last = Akers
| first = Mary Ann
| title = Moore Says Weinstein Wanted Clinton Scene Cut
| pages = A05
| work = Politics
| publisher = ''[[The Washington Post]]''
| date= 2007-06-22
| url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/21/AR2007062102150.html
| accessdate = 2007-10-02
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/dvd/extras.html
| accessdate = 2007-11-02
| date= 2007-11-02
| title = View clips from the DVD extras
| publisher = Michael Moore
}}</ref>
In the home video edition of the film, Moore also included a segment ("Sicko Goes To Washington") promoting the [[United States National Health Insurance Act]] (Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act), [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR676: HR 676], a piece of legislation which Moore endorses for the creation of the sort of [[single-payer health care]] system that the film has been documenting in other nations within the USA.
Another special feature available on the home DVD release documents the story of an uninsured woman who was offered a 50% discount for treatment of spinal cancer, but had her discount revoked when the hospital discovered that she had obtained the money to pay for her treatment through fundraising, which the hospital considered to be earned income.
These deleted scenes are available as special features on the [[DVD]] release.
==See also==
*[[List of documentaries]]
*[[National health insurance]]
*[[National Physicians Alliance]]
*[[United States National Health Insurance Act]]
==Notes and references==
<!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to create footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags-->
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links==
* [http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko Official site]
** [http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/checkup/ ''Sicko''] Official notes & sources
*{{imdb title|id=0386032|title=Sicko}}
*{{rotten-tomatoes|id=sicko|title=Sicko}}
*{{metacritic film|id=sicko|title=Sicko}}
*{{mojo title|id=sicko|title=Sicko}}
*{{amg movie|id=1:352610|title=Sicko}}
*[http://www.sci-fi-online.50megs.com/2008_reviews/dvd/08-01-07_sicko.htm Review of Sicko DVD] at [http://sci-fi-online.com www.sci-fi-online.com]
*[http://www.honestmedicine.com/2008/01/honestmedicines.html HonestMedicine's "SiCKO Files"]
*[http://www.fussmagazine.com/content/view/178/37/ Review of Sicko] at [http://www.fussmagazine.com Fuss Magazine]
*[http://www.sickocure.org/ SickoCure.org] A site run by [[Physicians for a National Health Program]], The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee and HealthCare-NOW!
*[http://michaelmoore.com/ MichaelMoore.com]
{{Michael Moore}}
[[Category:2007 films]]
[[Category:Documentary films]]
[[Category:Political documentaries]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:French-language films]]
[[Category:Spanish-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Michael Moore]]
[[Category:Lions Gate films]]
[[Category:Medical-themed films]]
[[Category:The Weinstein Company films]]
[[Category:Medical ethics]]
[[Category:Healthcare in the United States]]
[[Category:Documentaries about health care]]
[[Category:Health care reform]]
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