Google Employee Bashes “Sicko”

Over on the Google Health Advertising Blog last Thursday Lauren Turner wrote a post blasting Michael Moore’s new movie Sicko.

Moore attacks health insurers, health providers, and pharmaceutical companies by connecting them to isolated and emotional stories of the system at its worst. Moore’s film portrays the industry as money and marketing driven, and fails to show healthcare’s interest in patient well-being and care.

Sound familiar? Of course. The healthcare industry is no stranger to negative press. A drug may be a blockbuster one day and tolled as a public health concern the next. News reporters may focus on Pharma’s annual sales and its executives’ salaries while failing to share R&D costs. Or, as is often common, the media may use an isolated, heartbreaking, or sensationalist story to paint a picture of healthcare as a whole. With all the coverage, it’s a shame no one focuses on the industry’s numerous prescription programs, charity services, and philanthropy efforts.

This was not well received by the liberal blogosphere and she was forced to make clear that these were only her personal views. Still, it is refreshing to see that even in Mountain View, California there are people who understand that single-payers is what is really sicko.