Things To Worry About
Health Care

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links selected movies, A to Z news items

Selected Books on the Subject of Health Care

"The Big Three Unresolved Issues that neither party has much to say about
[are] jobs, education, and health care." — columnist Marc Cooper

"Health care premiums have gone up 90% in the last six years." — John Edwards

"The United States currently spends 16% of its gross domestic product on health care."
— The Atlantic Monthly, June 2006

"If you count the cost of healthcare as a tax, Americans are the highest-taxed country in the world."
— caller Brian on the Bill Press radio show (in 2007)

Links

HR 676 Medicare for All Act {introduced Jan 2007}
Single Payer Now! [est. 1994] in California
American Association for Health Freedom [est. 1992]
Physicians For Social Responsibility [est. 1961]
A.M.A.'s 'Voice For The Uninsured' program
Drug Policy Alliance [est. 2000]
NurseCorner "To uphold the ideals of nursing" [est. 1/2008]
Defective Drugs information website
pro-choice Trust Women PAC [est. 2009]

Selected Books on the Subject of Health Care

Health  Care  Film  Festival (A to Z)

Special Interests / Health category on DVD at Amazon

"A Lion In The House" [P.B.S. May 2006]

Five families struggle with the ups and downs of cancer treatment (filmed over the course of six years). Co-produced & directed by Steven Bognar & Julia Reichert; featuring the Ashcraft, Fields, Lougheed, Moone & Woods families; won Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking Docurama color DVD [9/2008] 3¾ hours on 2 disks for $24.49 full credits at IMDb • P.B.S. official movie site

"And The Band Played On" [H.B.O. Sept 1993]

A look at the early history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the policy mistakes that allowed the disease to get out of hand and spread around the world. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode; starring Matthew Modine, Alan Alda, Patrick Bauchau, Nathalie Baye, Phil Collins, Bud Cort, David Dukes, Richard Gere, Glenne Headly, Anjelica Huston, Swoosie Kurtz, Steve Martin, Richard Masur, Ian McKellen, Saul Rubinek, Charles Martin Smith, Lily Tomlin & B.D. Wong H.B.O. Home Video color DVD [6/2001] for $9.99 H.B.O. Home Video color VHS [5/94] out of prodn/many used Varese Sarabande soundtrack CD [9/93] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb

"And The Band Played On: Politics, People & The AIDS Epidemic" [1987] by Randy Shilts St.Martin's Griffin 20th Anniversary 8x6½ pb [11/2007] for $11.53 St.Martin's Press hardcover [11/87] out of print/many, many used

"Bigger,  Stronger,  Faster *">  [Magnolia Pictures May 2008]

{The asterisk in the title refers to subtitle "The Side Effects of Being American"} An in-depth investigation into the use of steroids & other performance-enhancing drugs in America, and the American 'win at all cost' culture. Co-written, directed & hosted by Chris Bell; featuring Mark & Mike & Rosemary & Sheldon Bell, with interviews & archival footage of sports stars, body builders, movie stars & politicians; nominated for Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival video/DVD not yet available full credits from IMDb official movie site

"Coma"  [M.G.M. Jan 1978]
full credits from IMDb

"Critical Condition"  [P.B.S. Sept 2008]

Between 46 and 50 million Americans have no health insurance, and the numbers continue to grow; this 83-minute vιritι-style documentary film puts a human face on America's growing health care crisis by capturing the harrowing struggles of four critically ill Americans who discover that being uninsured can cost them their jobs, health, home, savings – even their lives. Co-produced & directed by Roger Weisberg Docurama color DVD [10/2008] for $24.49 full credits at IMDb • P.B.S. official movie site

"The  Doctor"  [Touchstone July 1991]
full credits from IMDb

"Extraordinary  Measures"  [C.B.S. Films Jan 2010]  

	Inspired by the true story of a man who defied conventional wisdom and great odds, and risked his family's future to pursue a cure for his children's obscure and life-threatening disease. Co-produced by & starring Harrison Ford; directed by Tom Vaughan; screenplay by Robert Nelson Jacobs, based on a book by Geeta Anand {below}; also starring Brendan Fraser, Keri Russell, Meredith Droeger, Diego Velazquez, Sam Hall & Jared Harris DVD/Blu-ray not yet available; full credits at IMDb • official movie site
	"The Cure: How A Father Raised $100 Million - And Bucked The Medical Establishment - In A Quest To Save His Children" [2006] by Geeta Anand HarperCollins 9x6 pb [12/2009] for $10.87   Wm. Morrow 9x6¼ hardcover [8/2006] out of print/many used
	"Chasing Miracles: The Crowley Family Journey of Strength, Hope   & Joy" [2010] by John F. Crowley, Foreword by Aileen Crowley Newmarket Press 8x5¼ hardcover [2/2010] for $15.61

"Fresh" documentary [indep May 2009]

"New thinking about what we're eating." The recent, rapid transformation of America's agriculture into an under-regulated industrial model has produced food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Produced & directed by Ana Sofia Joanes; features urban farmer/activist Will Allen, farmer/entrepreneur Joel Salatin, and progressive supermarket owner David Ball screening & DVD info at the producer's website full credits at IMDb • official movie site

"The  Future  of  Food" documentary
[Cinema Libre Studio Sept 2005]

An in-depth investigation into the unlabeled, patented, genetically-modified foods that have quietly been placed on the shelves of U.S. supermarkets. Co-produced, written & directed by Deborah Koons Garcia Arts Alliance America letterbox color DVD [11/2007] for $21.99 full credits from IMDb official movie site

"The  Hospital"  [United Artists Dec 1971]
full credits from IMDb

"Living  In  Emergency"
Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or M.S.F.) official website

"Living In Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders" [indep Aug 2009] Four volunteers with Doctors Without Borders struggle to provide emergency medical care under extreme conditions in the war-zones of Liberia and Congo. 93-minute documentary film co-produced & directed by Mark N. Hopkins; won Special Jury Award at Cinequest San Jose Film Festival DVD/Blu-ray not yet available • full credits at IMDb • official movie site

"Living In Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders - Live" [National CineMedia Dec 2009] Two-hour 'talk show' format program filmed at Nokia Theatre in New York City; directed by David Stern, written by Jason Cone; hosted by Elizabeth Vargas DVD/Blu-ray not yet available • full credits at IMDb

"One  Flew  Over  The  Cuckoo's  Nest"
[United Artists Nov 1975]

The first movie since 1934 to win all 5 top Oscars. Considered Nicholson's best all-time performance, he plays R.P. McMurphy, who tries to avoid jail time by feigning madness, leading to a tragic yet life-affirming end. Directed by Milos Forman; based on the book by Ken Kesey; starring Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Brad Dourif, Will Sampson, Scatman Crothers, Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, Sydney Lassick & Vincent Schiavelli; won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Script/Adaptation, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor (JN), nominated for Best Actor (BD), Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Score; won DGA, WGA & 6 BAFTA awards; listed on National Film Registry (1993) Warner Special Edition DVD [9/2002] for $19.99 Warner widescreen DVD [12/97] for $15.99 Warner color VHS [3/2001] for $13.74 Fantasy soundtrack CD [10/93] for $10.97 full credits from IMDb 11"x17" white poster from Amazon for $9.99 11"x17" black/Oscar poster from Amazon for $9.99

classic 1962 novel by Ken Kesey [1935-2001] listed on Time Magazine's All-TIME 100 Novels (10/2005) NAL pb [7/89] for $6.99 Viking 9¼x6¼ hardcover [1/2002] for $24.95 Penguin Audio read by Ken Kesey [12/93] for $11.20 Blackstone UNABR audio CD [4/2000] for $72.00

"Sicko"  [Weinstein/Dog Eat Dog June 2007]

Moore compares the failed American health care system with that of Canada & Cuba. Official tasgline: "A comedy about 45 million people with no health care in the richest country on earth." Co-produced, written & directed by and starring gadfly filmmaker Michael Moore Weinstein Company color DVD [11/2007] for $19.99 full credits from IMDb official movie site

Selected Books on the Subject of Health Care

News Items

Ian Williams, in The Washington Spectator June 2008           In 2005, Taiwan's successful and efficient single-payer health care system cost 6.2% of G.D.P. compared with 16.2% for the U.S. In 2003, Taiwan spent less than $800 per person for health care, compared with a U.S. level of approximately $5,500. (By 2005, U.S. health care spending had increased 6.9% to $6,697 per person.)

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