Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare

If you thought last year's Supreme Court 5-4 ruling affirming Obamacare was the last word on the subject of American healthcare, you will be in for a surprise watching Matthew Heineman and Susan Froemke's documentary. According to Escape Fire, the U.S. spent $2.7 trillion on healthcare in 2011, and spending levels are expected to only increase this year. The problem, according to the filmmakers, is grossly misplaced priorities, particularly in federal spending programs that emphasize the quantity of patients being treated over the quality of care. Holistic health leader Dr. Andrew Weil, prominently featured here, cogently observes, “We don't have a healthcare system in this country. We have a disease management system.” Some of the arguments presented—the suffocating control of the pharmaceutical industry on the healthcare debate, the reluctance of insurance providers to embrace so-called alternative treatments—have been covered in similar documentaries. However, hearing a condemnation of the system by Donald Berwick, President Obama's Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from 2010 to 2011, is surprising, and certainly not an endorsement for Obamacare as the cure-all prescription. DVD extras include audio commentary by the directors, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and deleted and extended scenes. A provocative, often disturbing film that is sure to spark debate, this is highly recommended. [Note: this is also available for $95 w/PPR for public libraries, and $295 w/PPR for colleges and universities from Ro*co Films Educational (www.rocoeducational.com).] Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)