By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Patrick Forbes
Country: united_kingdom, united_states
Year: 2015
Running time: 96
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3470838/combined
Kyle says: “After survivors tell heartrending tales of losing loved ones to sudden heart attacks, and medical professionals argue about scans versus stents, there comes a telling moment near the end of THE WIDOWMAKER, when Wendell Potter, former Director of Communications for Humana Corp., says: ‘I realized toward the end of my career that something had happened to what I was doing for a living, and that in many cases I was doing the exact opposite of what I was trained to do as a journalist, which was to try to find truth as best I could report it. This sounds kind of trite, but I didn’t look in a mirror and say, ‘What happened to you? How did this happen to you?’ The system is not set up to reward prevention; the system is set up so that doctors are well compensated for treating conditions. So are pharmaceutical companies.’
“Potter is one of the few people with enough scruples to speak truth to power on the record in this Public Service Announcement disguised as a horror documentary about the U.S. health care industry battle over the $100 coronary artery scan which the industry refuses to pay for versus the $50,000 stent implant procedure it covers. This film documents American insurance companies’ continuing commitment to follow the Willie Sutton law — Question: Why do you rob banks? Willie Sutton: Because that’s where the money is.
“At the very end, the American Heart Association finally gives its support for coronary artery scanning, and you may want to jump up and down in celebration of a happy ending before recalling how many times Republicans voted to overturn Obamacare. Popular TV commentator Larry King, who barely avoided death from a heart attack, says simply in the end titles: ‘Here’s the best tip I can give anyone: If you think the food is bad for you, you’re right!’ At times it may seem like you are being instructed to eat a vegetable you detest, but this documentary is one highly recommended salad. 5 cats
“Seen Monday, September 7, 2015, on Netflix, New York.”