Documentary provides health care ‘crash course’

Aug. 12--POTTSVILLE -- A single-payer health care system, whereby the government would assume the risk for health care coverage, would be beneficial to Americans. That's what director Vincent Mondillo claims in his documentary, "Fix It: Health Care at the Tipping Point."

Mondillo, of Easton, showed the film he called "a crash course on health care" Sunday at the Majestic Theater. The 58-minute documentary, which was produced four years ago, shows the cost of health care from employers' perspectives and medical doctors, among others.

"Insurance companies have no interest in maximizing anything except profits for Wall Street," Mondillo said to about 30 people in attendance.

Mondillo was invited by Schuylkill Indivisible, a grassroots organization, to bring the documentary to Schuylkill County.

"We're trying to open the dialogue," Mondillo said.

Among the information presented in the documentary was the nation spends between 30 to 35 percent of health care costs on administrative expenses, drug companies charge more money than any country in the world, and many Americans go without health care because of the cost or delay treatment.

One woman interviewed said her husband became sick and they had costly out-of-pocket medical expenses.

"All you feel is hopelessness," the woman said.

State Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, Rush Township, was the only elected leader who attended among county, local and state leaders invited to the event. Argall said most of the debate on this topic has been in Congress, not the state level.

"I came here very skeptical. I was intrigued by what I saw," Argall said.

"The whole debate is along ideological lines. We wanted to deal with economics," Mondillo said.

Mondillo said health care as we know it is changing.

"Insurance companies are coming to the end of their life," Mondillo said, adding they can only raise premiums and costs so high before it is unfeasible.

A pamphlet provided at the event estimates the average savings for switching to a single-payer plan is $504 billion a year; costs would decrease for drug prices because of the buying power of the government; and co-pays, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses would be eliminated, but replaced by other sources.

"For 90 percent of Americans (both employers and employees), health care costs would be decreased," the pamphlet states.

Contact the writer: ; 570-628-6028

___

(c)2019 the Republican & Herald (Pottsville, Pa.)

Visit the Republican & Herald (Pottsville, Pa.) at republicanherald.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.