BBC documentary takes on Obama's plans for American health care system

[babsbunny]

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/BBC_documentary_takes_on_Obamas_plans_0125.html

Nick Cargo
Published: Sunday January 25, 2009



A January 19 episode of BBC One's Panorama, the world's longest running television documentary show, tackles the dismal state of health care in the United States, the lengths to which its estimated 45 million uninsured citizens will go to in pursuit of care, the pharmaceutical industry's rigged pricing against the American patient, and the insurance industry's efforts to deny care whenever possible.

The documentary opens in rural Kentucky, where people have driven within a 200-mile radius to wait in line in the early morning for a spot in line to see a volunteer doctor thanks to the efforts of Remote Access Medical, who originally set out to help people in the Amazon jungle, but now focus 60% of their time on Americans.

[dipsydoodle]

1. "the only people in the world

who are expected to take money from strangers and provide nothing in return" seems to sum it up quite well from what I read here on DU. Also the fact that 533 members of Congress, out of 535, have received campaign contributions from within the health sector just horrifies me as it adequately tars both sides with exactly the same brush.

[Earth_First]

2. Remote Area Medical

Started as a project in 1985 to help the citizens of developing countries recieve the most basic of medical care. Since then, Stan's work has been mostly stateside offering basic medical assistance to Americans. Hundreds of people will show up, often for a spot in line where only 300-500 can be seen.

Here's the website:


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

[madrchsod]

3. there will be no fundamental change in the american health care system

we will still have insurance companies making hundreds of billions off the 20% co-pay....

[dipsydoodle]

4. As an aside

whilst there are licencing restrictions on the BBC streaming outside of the UK, many of both their own and their sister channel's, Channel 4's , documentaries ultimately land up here : http://www.thedossier.ukonline.co.uk/video.htm

It's worth keeping a note of that link and ploughing through some of the videos and other links when you have the time.

NB mentioned in the OP's Rawstory link is the fact that currently the program mentioned is now on Youtube for all to watch anyway.