John Stossel: Sick In America. (Sick In News Reporting is a more accurate title.)

We just finished watching 20/20 with John Stossel: Sick In America. I really tried to go into this with an open-mind, although there was some scepticism since ABC is owned by Disney who is heavily invested in the Republican Party who is utterly and completely against doing away with any part of the for-profit health care insurance industry. And I also know by watching John Stossel's reports, they are typically heavily short-sighted.

Well, tonight Stossel didn't disappoint. He failed to discuss what to do about people who are uninsured, which the numbers are quickly reaching the 40 million mark. At the beginning, he interviewed a woman who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She had just signed up with a new health insurance plan in the weeks prior to her diagnosis. However, upon hearing news of her cancer, the insurance company canceled her policy. Horrible. Criminal. Now she only goes to the doctor when absolutely necessary and prays no new cancer lumps or cells are found. Her distress was apparent--and I could not understand how JS could listen to her story with that deadpan, aloof look of his...he was in the same frigging room for christ sake and I was at home, watching it tape-delayed, crying for this poor woman. Ever hear of a little term called empathy, JS? How could he watch her eyes well up as she said she lives in this constant fear of knowing she has no insurance and is essentially uninsurable unless she can cough up $27,000 for an annual plan and god forbid what if the cancer were to return? Does this man have no heart? Oh well, I thought. He'll (hopefully) likely return to her story later in the program and offer up solutions to people in her situation.

Wrong. Not once did he address these issues. People not having health insurance. People being unable to afford it. People being canceled because they get sick with a serious illness.

He interviews Michael Moore--and yet the interview was pitiful at best. MM spoke for maybe 3 minutes tops, in bits and pieces while JS did most of the talking. Accusing, actually. And his last little jab at MM where he referenced MM going to Florida to a private facility to lose weight was uncalled for. And cowardly being he didn't give MM the chance to address it.

But what do you expect from people like JS? They suffer from emotional detachment. They see the world in black and white. They are rational thinking-only types, very individualistic. They are, in truth, inside, scared little people with a deep fear of showing vulnerability and weakness. And they have a gross inability to see suffering and struggle as a result. They're not evil. They're just really the victims of a capitalistic, money-driven, individualistic society. Nothing wrong with any of these things in moderation as long as they are balanced out by empathy, generosity, fairness.

JS showed the troubles that face the citizens of those countries whose government's foot the bill for health care. Certainly there are some real problems--problems we need to be discussing as we talk about a government run and/or government paid health care system. No system is perfect. And yet, overall, I did not see these countries as having problems that outweigh the current American Health Care System. Having to wait a month to see a doctor. Having to wait for an MRI or CT Scan. Problems not uncommon in some of these other nations. Well...Uh, last I checked, my spouse had to wait 3.5 weeks just to get in to see his PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN. As he is now being told, the doctor is now booked 4 weeks out. And when I began my search for a PCP, I was starting to grow very concerned when office after office told me "no new patients" were being accepted. And honest to god, which situation would you rather be in: having no insurance and no way to pay for it and having to wait to see a doctor OR living in a country where the government pays for it and having to wait to see a doctor?

Funny it was when JS seemed to be so pro-insurance industry, but then showed the story of a doctor who no longer takes insurance because of the hassles and restrictions, regulations and rules imposed by bean counters in said industry. This doctor is now offering fee based services where patients pay a fee (quite a bit smaller than what the insurance industry would charge) out of pocket for basic office services. Sounds good on the surface of course but what happens when these people become seriously ill and cannot afford the more expensive health care treatments because they have no insurance coverage? Again, he let that one slip right on out the door. And he also made a slip-up or else didn't notice it. He began this particular segment saying most people who visited this particular doctor have no health insurance, at least that was the slant, but then ended it saying these people, when they need other services, let their insurance pay for it.

Uh, so which is it? Do most of these folks have insurance or don't they, JS?

When JS asked MM why he didn't hit up the Insurance Industry people in his movie like he usually does in his films, MM said it was his wish that the people go after the industry instead as a result of watching the film. So, JS decided to do this on his his own, and as he claimed, he had "no problem" doing so. Yeah, he went to ONE insurance company and spoke with ONE person, a bean counter, who of course proclaimed the industry was doing a splendid job and yet in the same breath actually supported the right for insurance companies to deny coverage for people who have the dreaded pre-existing conditions or occasionally denying services. All in a deadpan, matter-of-fact statement. But then again, that's what happens when you don't see the people you're treating, don't get that emotional closeness that once felt, will have you rethinking how you do things. Anyway... And again, this is a pro-corporate america journalist who works for a pro-corporate america broadcasting station who is owned by a pro-corporate america Multi-national. Yep, no bias there! And JS had an obvious agenda--to say BOO to government-run health care and YES to the "free" market (which as I've said before and will say again, free does not mean fair.)

Failing miserably in his report, JS also failed to talk about the huge increases in health care premiums, the stagnating wages/how wages have failed to keep up with the cost of living, not to mention the millions of living wage jobs lost only to be replaced by low end service jobs at the big "mart" stores....hey, it is ALL inter-connected. And still, not once, did he address what to do about the uninsured. And the people like this first woman with cancer he interviewed, who had insurance but was canceled because of her illness.

And oh how JS loved to show all of these wealthy royals who have come here to the states to receive medical treatment. Again, promoting the American Health Care System. Sure JS. These royals can afford it. And the obvious glaring fact: They come here to use OUR system and yet there are people in our own country who cannot afford it. Doesn't that bother you in the least? Hello??! KNOCK KNOCK MC'FLY is your consciousness at home this evening??!!

One thing that also intrigued me. JS talked about how miserable government is at running things (unless you're talking about war, he said--yes he really said that). Government can't handle anything, can't take care of anything, he said. There's inefficiency all over the place. Uh, last I checked, Uncle Sam is doing a pretty damn good job of taking care of Corporate America. No reason they cannot take the same care of People America.

And my favorite, the piece that had me to the point where I felt as though I may puke out a lung, I had to calm myself, was when they showed the advances in medicine and how these advances have helped keep Dick Cheney alive.

:::cough cough, gasp, choke clutch my heart give me some water WTF did i just hear that right??:::

That's right. They showed a GOVERNMENT employee who has HIS INSURANCE PAID FOR BY YOU AND I as an example to SUPPORT the private insurance industry.

Uh huh. UNbelievable...

The obvious question, JS, out of your mouth, should be the following: The American people pay for Mr. Cheney's Health Insurance. Now shouldn't the government be returning the favor to the people?

Balance. The doctors run the show, the government foots the bill and offers a sliding scale fee based on income. For those who wish to keep their private insurers, then so be it. Let it be a CHOICE. But also let it become the RIGHT it need be, the RIGHT it should be. Until that time, may JS and those like him become a silent breeze in the night and may people like myself became THE VOICE that is heard by all, listened to by all, respected and embraced by all. Well, at least by the "little people"...