Firestorm | A film by Julie Winokur

A FEW FACTS ABOUT HEALTH CARE IN AMERICA

FIRESTORM illustrates many of the problems in our emergency medical system. While our EMS comprises a small fraction of the country's healthcare budget, nearly 120 million people visit an ER yearly. Meanwhile the number of hospital emergency departments continues to decrease.

The nation's nearly 4,000 hospital emergency departments are a portal for as many as three out of four uninsured patients admitted to U.S. hospitals.
Approximately 500,000 ambulances are diverted (turned away by an overcrowded hospital) annually in the United States. This is about one ambulance diversion per minute.
Fire departments nationwide went on about 15.8 million medical calls in 2008, up from about 5 million in 1980, a 213% increase.
50 years ago, half of the nation's doctors practiced primary care. Today, almost 70% of doctors work in higher paid specialities; it's estimated that in 10 years, the shortage of family doctors will reach 40,000.
Primary care doctors make one-fourth the salary of a specialist, while trying to pay down $140,000 on average in medical school debt.
The starting salary for a primary care physician is $134,351 compared to $350,000 for a cardiac surgeon and $300,000 for a plastic surgeon.
In 38 states, health insurance companies can deny coverage because of a pre-existing condition, and nearly 4 out of 10 Americans has at least one chronic medical condition.
Every year, the deaths of at least 22,000 people can be attributed to a lack of health insurance. This makes uninsurance the sixth leading cause of death, ahead of HIV/AIDS and diabetes.
Between 2000 and 2007, the average premium for job-based family coverage increased by more than 90%, rising from $6,351 to $12,106.
More than 3 out of 5 adults who report having problems paying their medical bills had insurance.
78% of those with private insurance and medical debt work full-time.
Medical bills are involved in more than 60% of U.S. Bankruptcies, an increase of 50% in just six years, and more than 75% of these bankrupt families had health insurance but still were overwhelmed by their medical debts.
In the past 10 years, 90% of medical school graduates have entered higher-paid sub-specialities, while only 10% have chosen primary care.
The amount of uncompensated care provided by hospitals has increased by $14.8 billion in eight years, from $21.6 billion in 2000 to $36.4 billion in 2008.


	TRAILER BUY DVDS SYNOPSIS NEWS/REVIEWS BLOG THE FACTS GET INVOLVED FILMMAKERS PARTNERS/SPONSORS CONTACT PRESS KIT	A FEW FACTS ABOUT HEALTH CARE IN AMERICA FIRESTORM illustrates many of the problems in our emergency medical system. While our EMS comprises a small fraction of the country's healthcare budget, nearly 120 million people visit an ER yearly. Meanwhile the number of hospital emergency departments continues to decrease. The nation's nearly 4,000 hospital emergency departments are a portal for as many as three out of four uninsured patients admitted to U.S. hospitals. Approximately 500,000 ambulances are diverted (turned away by an overcrowded hospital) annually in the United States. This is about one ambulance diversion per minute. Fire departments nationwide went on about 15.8 million medical calls in 2008, up from about 5 million in 1980, a 213% increase. 50 years ago, half of the nation's doctors practiced primary care. Today, almost 70% of doctors work in higher paid specialities; it's estimated that in 10 years, the shortage of family doctors will reach 40,000. Primary care doctors make one-fourth the salary of a specialist, while trying to pay down $140,000 on average in medical school debt. The starting salary for a primary care physician is $134,351 compared to $350,000 for a cardiac surgeon and $300,000 for a plastic surgeon. In 38 states, health insurance companies can deny coverage because of a pre-existing condition, and nearly 4 out of 10 Americans has at least one chronic medical condition. Every year, the deaths of at least 22,000 people can be attributed to a lack of health insurance. This makes uninsurance the sixth leading cause of death, ahead of HIV/AIDS and diabetes. Between 2000 and 2007, the average premium for job-based family coverage increased by more than 90%, rising from $6,351 to $12,106. More than 3 out of 5 adults who report having problems paying their medical bills had insurance. 78% of those with private insurance and medical debt work full-time. Medical bills are involved in more than 60% of U.S. Bankruptcies, an increase of 50% in just six years, and more than 75% of these bankrupt families had health insurance but still were overwhelmed by their medical debts. In the past 10 years, 90% of medical school graduates have entered higher-paid sub-specialities, while only 10% have chosen primary care. The amount of uncompensated care provided by hospitals has increased by $14.8 billion in eight years, from $21.6 billion in 2000 to $36.4 billion in 2008.