I Have Always Been Pre-Existing

I recently watched the movie "SiCKO" by Michael Moore. I've never been a big fan of Moore's films, well I take that back. I enjoy his films and view them as entertainment but nothing more. I do enjoy a good "stick it to the man" film. Perhaps it's the dormant liberal in me. I don't know. I think when it comes to Michael Moore movies, people are quick to bring up political affiliation. If you like his films you must be a liberal. If you don't like them you must be conservative. Well, I'm so liberal I'm conservative. Wrap your mind around that one America.

I have seen his films and like I said, I normally view them as pure entertainment and not the thought provoking dialogue starting movies, I'm sure they are intended to be. I view them this way mostly because of the way he composes his films. It's fairly obvious and completely biased the way he crafts his movies. These are not documentaries; rather, they are propaganda films designed to influence public opinion. I'm okay with that because I see them for what I believe they really are. So I don't mind so much that they are presented under the auspice of "documentary" because I believe that just about everyone knows that his films are set up this way.

That being said, "SiCKO" was different for me. This is Moore's attempt at an expose of the medical and insurance industries here in the United States. Almost from the outset of the film I found my nasty little "stick it to the man" side of me cheering Moore on. I felt this way because I have been one of the nameless faceless victims of America's health care debacle. I could relate to almost every single case he presented in his film. Throughout the film I found myself letting down my normal content analysis laced guard. I was more and more willing to look past the editing and the propaganda he was proselyting because I believed it myself. I was reminded of how awful it really is in America to have to do battle with health insurance companies and HMO's. Prior to watching the film I had just wrapped up a 6 month battle with my health insurance company. They had demanded that I pay them over $600.00 in bills for a routine cleaning at my dentist. I had previously been insured under their student program at the University I attended prior to being hired by that University upon graduating. That program was a nightmare unto itself. I was relieved when I was hired by the school and told that I could now qualify for the "the best health care money could buy." Imagine my dismay when I went to the dentist for the first time in too long (due to not having dental coverage on my student plan) only to learn that they were going to try to shaft me for a routine cleaning.

I received bills from the dental office, and the phone calls began. The dental office would tell me that they've submitted everything the insurance company demanded but it was never good enough. The insurance company kept telling me that my dentist's office was trying to bill them for procedures that were never done. This went on back and forth for 6 months and all the while the dentist's office was charging me late fees for not paying on time. And why was I not paying on time? Because my insurance company was not playing ball. Eventually I waited them out. They paid and the Dentist's office congratulated me by voiding all the late charges on my account. This was a great victory for me until I realized what all the fuss was really about.

My insurance company didn't want to pay for my cleaning because they classified my dirty teeth, for lack of a better expression, as a pre-existing condition. What the hell. Of course it's a pre-existing condition. When would it not be? I guess only people with perfect teeth can qualify for coverage for their dental needs. I mean how ridiculous is that? I found out that they only agreed to pay for my dental care after my case was put through to a board of review. Somewhere in some other city a group of non medical professionals sat down with my dental X-rays and charts and went about the business of deciding whether or not I was asking for something that was fair and reasonable. As if I was trying to sneak some crazy expensive service by them and get something I wasn't entitled too. Because that's what they do. They try to save money by screwing me. And I have been screwed several times over.

Now that this is over, I ask myself more now, what if I did need some kind of specialized care? They would probably force me to take a genetic test to see if I had a predisposition to whatever future ailments might beset me and then classify them as pre-existing conditions to get out of paying for them.

Sure Michael Moore may be crazy and biased and mean and smug and condescending and way too liberal for many people's tastes. But his latest film resonated with me and I ate up all the bias, the craziness, the smugness, and condescending tones he threw at me, his audience, and the companies and industry he attacked. It was good fun had at the expense of people I have often characterized as conspiring evil men. Perhaps I'm disillusioned but I don't think I'm the only one. Working with health care in this country has always been an uphill battle for me. Kind of like the four years I spend duking it out with the various guidance counselors at my high school in Virginia. But that's another tale for another night and one I'm quite fond of.

So Michael Moore, I salute you. I love guns, I love Chevys, I hate big oil and the Carlyle Group, but support the troops and feel we need to purge the world of Islamist Extremism. I feel you on health care reform. But I'm still so liberal I'm conservative, kind of like Jesus.