I don't watch him that often, but read his blog. Sure he retreads a lot of info, but how many other libertarians have been carved out such a career in journalism? Here is some of his recent (and fine) work:I’m grateful to ABC News for allowing me to do stories that challenged conventional wisdom, and occasionally enraged many of its viewers. But it’s said that everyone should change jobs every 7 years. I’ve been at ABC for 28 years ...
In my new job, I want to dig into the meaning of the words “liberty” and “limited government”. ABC enabled me to do some of that, but Fox offers me more airtime and a new challenge.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
I may start watching FOX
Fox Business Network, that is. It appears that John Stossel of 20/20 fame is moving to FBN and will get his own show, as well as contribute on other shows across the FOX networks:
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6 comments:
Certainly an interesting take in the video. I think I like it.
I like Stossel. He has a very good 6-part series on health insurance and reform. He sticks it to Michael Moore too.
So, by saying you are going to START watching Fox, that implies that you don't watch Fox.
Why is that? Just curious.
And what news station do you watch?
By the way, my computer sucks, I couldn't watch the video. Could someone summarize it for me?
I don't really watch any of the news channels or the nightly news on any of the major networks.
As for the video, the basic gist is that people would make smarter financial choices with respect to health care if they were spending their own money, so a system of Health Savings Accounts, combined with catastrophic insurance, would incentivize people to look for deals and self ration their helth carte expenditures. The case study of such a program is the Whole Foods employee health care program. That of course misses the jokes and hyperbole that Stossels is famous for, but you need to get your computer fixed for that.
I had to watch the video one more time to see if I find more issues about healthcare.
There are two major issues:
1. We aren't responsible for ourselves any longer.
2. The health insurance companies do not let us, the consumer, have certain access to price range, costs, and other alternatives.
I think the two are interrelated.
Since when did we let others be responsible for our own health? We paid more in premiums so that others can take care of us. Now we have given the insurance companies complete control as to which doctor we could see, when we may see them, what illnesses they cover, and refuse to tell us their costs. We paid them more so that we may have more coverage, and they took control. Furthermore, some insurance companies are throwing out their most ill customers. If you noticed, the original idea behind health insurance was to take care of catastrophes. Now they let you go because of it. We've given them more control, and they have pulled a number on us.
I like the idea that we as consumers take back some of that power by having the alternatives in our hands, not theirs. For example, I'd like to know what four nearby dentists charge for my routine cleaning. Then I will ask my dental insurance company to cover the one I choose, or I may simply choose to pay for it myself. However, for more costly procedures, such as for periodontal disease, I will have the insurance company cover it. I must have in writing that they will cover such procedures--or they will be taken to court for breach of contract.
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