Sick Around America

Jon Palfreman's documentary Sick Around America, which originally aired on PBS' Frontline in March 2009, builds an important foundation for understanding the healthcare reform issue, detailing the plight of U.S. citizens unable to secure affordable health insurance. The focus is primarily on middle class, suburban Americans—the 2.5 million people a year who lose their medical benefits when they're laid off from jobs or are unable to secure private individual policies due to pre-existing physical conditions. Some interviewees profiled here racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills, and in one case, a young woman's lupus-related death is blamed on her inability to obtain a health plan. Several insurance company executives appear on camera, but their bland insistence that they don't want to deny coverage rings hollow. No elected officials are interviewed for the film, nor is there any discussion of the previous major attempt to reform healthcare, during Bill Clinton's first term as president. Aside from these minor shortcomings, Sick Around America offers a sober and deeply disturbing examination of a major problem, providing an intelligent and mature look at the crisis that stands in stark contrast to the melodramatics of recent town hall screaming matches. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)