Better Health Coverage Than France

Sicko was a good movie, really! However, Michael Moore has done what he is usually criticized for: Exaggeration. His movie is a clear exercise of comparison between different health systems. Problem is, he picks up the dirt stories from the US, and the good stories from the UK and France. I have a personal experience that shows the exact contrary of what Michael Moore has shown.

I am originally French. I was living in Paris with my wife, and decided a few months ago to move back to the US for a job opportunity. After this decision, and before I could set a foot in the plane, my wife, who is French, got pregnant. That didn't stop me. I decided that my kid will be American, and was proud of it since I myself had spent my best teenage years in the US.

I flew over to the States two months before my pregnant half did to set everything up. Obviously, no insurance companies would let me join their plan with a pregnant woman on my behalf. The company I work for didn't have a group health plan, so that was a dead end too. And the French Social Security would cover up to the price of the procedure in French hospitals (meaning there was a lot there for us to pay).

This situation really started to stress me out. I was failing in providing a secure health system for my wife and soon-to-be-born son. A friend of mine working for some independent insurance company told me to check out Medi Cal for State health insurance programs.

And I did. I showed up at their offices, explained my case. Before I knew it, my case was being examined. After a month, I received my Medi Cal coverage card, and so did my wife. We were able to go to one of the best hospital in town. Not only this, but all the classes (giving birth, breastfeeding, child CPR...) were covered. We are not spending a dime.

Oh, and did I forget? My wife is undocumented. She has no legal rights to stay on the US territory (except that she is filing for a green card now), and the Californian government is covering for all the expenses.

I don't want to play the role of the devil's) advocate. HMOs have established such a shameful health system, it makes this country a really insecure place to live. However, other actors are operating in this health system dilemma, and I regret that Michael Moore didn't cover this side of the story.