FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT:
Meg Fullwood
Public Relations Manager
KERA, KXT and Art&Seek
214-740-9377
mfullwood@kera.org
March 29, 2010
20 YEARS OF MCCUISTION
ON KERA-TV
DALLAS/FORT WORTH – The topic-driven interview program McCuistion is celebrating its 20th anniversary on KERA-TV with a series of special programs. 20 Years of McCuistion airs Sunday, April 4 and Sunday, April 11 at 12:00 noon on KERA-TV. The specials highlight some of the program’s top interviews of the last 20 years on topics ranging from education to leadership and the environment. All programs can be viewed online after broadcast at http://www.frtv.org/series/20-years-of-mccuistion/.
“The power of television when combined with an understanding of important issues can make significant, positive differences in the lives of people who watch,” says Executive Producer Niki McCuistion. “The team brings that mission to every program they have produced.”
Federal Government Debt, Credit Issues and Foreign Policy
On Sunday, April 4, 2010 at 12:00 noon on KERA-TV
An encore presentation of the first McCuistion TV program taped in 1990 features the late Senator John Tower on the Cold War and negotiating with the Soviets. It also explores the banking crisis of 15 years ago and brings the issues of government spending, corporate fraud and the economy to date with interviews with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, SMU’s Dr. James Hollifield and David Walker, the former comptroller general of the United States.
Healthcare and Wellness
Sunday, April 11 at 12:00 noon on KERA-TV
This program features interviews on the present health care system and the new legislation with Dr. John Goodman, father of the health savings account, and explores the new technology of wellness. Christopher Kennedy Lawford, an activist and recovering addict is also interviewed.
ABOUT McCuistion
The McCuistion television program is independently produced by host Dennis McCuistion and Executive Producer Niki McCuistion. The program focuses on the economic, political and social issues that have an impact on our daily lives.
ABOUT FRTV
The Foundation for Responsible Television is a 501 (c) (3) which was founded in 1994. The mission is to raise funds to produce and promote the McCuistion Television Program on Public Television. Funds are provided by foundations, corporations and individuals. Visit www.mccuistiontv.com for more information.
Medical Underwriting: It’s Better than the Alternatives
Paul Krugman says the opposition to ObamaCare is conducting a campaign based on “blatant fear-mongering, unconstrained either by the facts or by any sense of decency.” The proponents’ case, by contrast, has been principled.
Hmmm…..Krugman and I must be listening to completely different sound bites. Over the past few weeks I can’t recall a single TV appearance by a proponent that did not involve an anecdotal horror story in which a hapless victim is abused by a mean insurance company. Is the purpose of these anecdotes to make us feel sympathy?… To get our checkbooks and make a contribution?… Or is the purpose to make us fear that we too could be abused?… In other words, to scare us??
[Interestingly, Krugman himself wrote a column only a few days earlier in which he based the entire argument for ObamaCare....on....on....you guessed it....a fear-mongering horror story! I'll let readers decide whether the delivery was "unconstrained by facts or any sense of decency." (David Henderson gives the rest of the story here.) Meanwhile, I predict that abuse of the sick by insurance companies will become more likely, not less likely under ObamaCare -- a subject I'll reserve for another day.]
Just how scared should we be? It’s been illegal to rescind a person’s insurance because of a change in health status since the passage of HIPAA in 1996. It’s also been illegal for any employer to discriminate against employees because of their health condition over the same period of time. So it’s only in the “individual market” (less than 10% of the total) that people get charged premiums which tend to reflect their expected health care costs.
Okay. So how well does the individual market work? Better than you might think. In his new book, Health Reform Without Side Effects (previously reviewed by me at the Health Affairs blog), Mark Pauly shows that the market works better than the health insurance exchanges ObamaCare would replace it with and better than the small group market that Obama would leave largely untouched. Moreover, with a few reasonable reforms, the individual market would work better still.
Continue Reading on John Goodman‘s Blog.
Below is a press release from the Texas Public Policy Foundation on their view on Health Care Reform. This is a conservative viewpoint.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2010
CONTACT:
David Guenthner
(512) 472-2700
dguenthner@texaspolicy.com
Foundation: State policymakers should take steps to protect Texas from ObamaCare
AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation criticizes yesterday’s U.S. House passage of legislation that enables the federal government takeover of America’s health care system.
“The legislation that Congress has sent to the White House will have disastrous consequences on Texans’ access to quality health care,” said The Honorable Arlene Wohlgemuth, executive director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. “We will work with Texas policymakers to explore all available options to protect our state from the fiscal damage and other harmful consequences of this law going into effect.”
Among the options the Foundation urges state policymakers to consider:
* Litigation challenging the constitutionality of the law. “Prominent legal scholars have identified constitutional defects in at least four major aspects of the legislation,” Wohlgemuth said. “The provision forcing Americans to purchase health insurance is antithetical to both the U.S. Constitution and the American tradition of individual liberty.”
* State legislation to protect, improve, and lower the cost of Texans’ health care. “Dozens of states are pursuing legislation to protect their residents from the bill’s requirement that individuals purchase health insurance, and the Texas Legislature should do likewise,” Wohlgemuth said. “The Legislature should also allow Texans to purchase health insurance plans regulated by any other state, create a Health Savings Account option in all state employee and retiree health plans, and allow non-physician medical professionals to provide care to the extent of their medical training.”
* Alternatives to continued participation in the federal Medicaid program. “The runaway costs in Medicaid are at the core of Texas’ current budget problems, and this new federal law will increase Texas’ Medicaid caseload by 50 percent, putting one-fourth of Texas’ population into this government program,” Wohlgemuth said. “The federal government has no right to co-opt state budgets in the manner that it is with Medicaid. The Texas Legislature should study fiscally responsible alternatives to the current Medicaid program.”
* A supplementary request that state agencies identify additional budget cuts beyond the 5 percent reductions previously solicited by the state leadership. “Even if Congress provides funding for the first few years of expanded Medicaid eligibility, Texas will eventually bear the full costs of Medicaid expansion, while other provisions of the bill will immediately increase the state’s cost to provide care for our current Medicaid recipients,” Wohlgemuth said. “The state has estimated the Medicaid provisions will cost at least $24.3 billion in additional general revenue over the first 10 years. Legislators need to help the public understand how deeply we will need to cut public education, transportation, and public safety to pay for this unfunded federal Medicaid mandate.”
The Honorable Arlene Wohlgemuth is Executive Director and Director of the Center for Health Care Policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin. She served 10 years in the Texas House of Representatives, specializing in health care issues.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit free-market research institute based in Austin.
Primary website: www.TexasPolicy.com
Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/TexasPublicPolicyFoundation
Twitter feed: www.Twitter.com/TPPF
John C. Goodman is president and CEO of the National Center for Policy Analysis. The Wall Street Journal and the National Journal, among other publications, have called him the “Father of Health Savings Accounts,” and the Media Research Center credits him, along with former Sen. Phil Gramm and columnist Bill Kristol with playing the pivotal role in the defeat of the Clinton Administration’s plan to overhaul the U.S. health care system. He is also the Kellye Wright Fellow in health care.
Dr. John Goodman joined us via taped interview for a segment on health care for the McCuistion 20th Anniversary Program series. Considered one of the key “conservative” experts on health care, he presented his conservative views on health care reform. He had this to say in answer to my [Niki McCuistion] questions on the state of health care today and health cares’ new future, given the changes in the new administration plans. According to Dr. John Goodman, “Health care today is dysfunctional and has perverse incentives… Today, costs are higher, quality is lower and access is more difficult.”
While discussing his conservative views on health care reform, Dr. John Goodman talked about the billions of dollars being spent on health care for the elderly and the young. “It’s too easy now for people to wait to get health insurance till after they are sick and access to health care gets worse. There’s nothing that inspires me to have confidence in what is presently being proposed.”
Yet considering, he still believes there are good things going on relevant to health care; “from 12-13 million people managing their own health costs; to urgent care and walk in clinics and overall a free market for health care”. Dr. Goodman cited the way we can cross the border and get good health care at a fraction of what we pay in the US. And he voiced a concern over boomers and their numbers overwhelming the health care system, “We’re just not ready for them. They think all of these promises were made and there’s not going to be enough money to fulfill them.”
I asked what would you have taxpayers do? His answer,” Liberate the doctor and patient. Let the patient control the money and let doctors compete on price and quality.” For a sobering look at health care today and Dr. Goodman’s conservative views on health care reform, watch and listen to what Dr. John Goodman has to say.
***
Niki Nicastro McCuistion
Executive Producer/Producer
McCuistion
Below we have posted (with permission) John Goodman’s analysis on ObamaCare health care reform.
There have been 8 versions of ObamaCare. The numbers below are estimates made for one or more of them. We believe they are still in the ballpark, and we will update as more information becomes available.
“If you like the plan you are in you can keep it.”
19 million Number of people predicted to lose their employer plan (Lewin Group) 8 to 9 million Number of people predicted to lose their employer plan (CBO) $11,543 Employer incentive to drop coverage for a $30,000 a year worker with family [Tax subsidy in the exchange minus tax subsidy at work minus $2,000 fine] (IRET) 8.5 million Number of seniors and disabled people at risk of losing their Medicare Advantage plan (Medicare Chief Actuary) 3 million Additional people who will likely lose Medicare Advantage plan benefits (Medicare Chief Actuary) $816 Average annual benefit loss for 11 million seniors and disabled in Medicare Advantage plans (CBO) 33 million Number of people in traditional Medicare at risk of losing access to care because of $523 billion in cuts in Medicare spending (Medicare Chief Actuary) 20% Fraction of hospitals that would become unprofitable after Medicare spending cuts (Medicare Chief Actuary) “There will be no tax increases for anyone who earns less than $200,000.”
73 million Number of people who earn less than $200,000 who will see their tax bill rise (Joint Committee on Taxation) 40% Tax rate on “Cadillac” plans (Reconciliation Summary) 2.3% Hidden tax on wheelchairs and other medical supplies (CBO update) $27 billion Hidden “medicine cabinet” tax on drugs (Reconciliation Summary) 10% Tax on tanning salons (Reconciliation Summary) $60 billion Hidden health insurance tax (Reconciliation Summary) “Health insurance reform is…about creating a climate where our entrepreneurs and small businesses can succeed [and] about giving you the chance to prosper and grow.”
$100 million Cost of ObamaCare mandates for Caterpillar, Inc. in the first year alone (Caterpillar, Inc.) 60% Implicit marginal tax rate for workers earning as little as $25,000 (IRET) 65% Implicit marginal tax rate for families earning as little as $50,000 (IRET) 0.9% New payroll tax on the wages of entrepreneurs and small business owners (Reconciliation Summary) 3.8% New tax on the capital income of entrepreneurs and small business owners (Reconciliation Summary) “The average family will save $2,500 in health care costs by the time I complete my first term as President of the United States.”
111% Premium increase for individual insurance (AHIP) 54% Premium increase for individual insurance (BlueCross BlueShield) 106% Premium increase for individual insurance (Wellpoint) $2,100 Premium increase for the average family (CBO) “Over the past year the House and the Senate have been working on an effort to provide health insurance reform that lowers costs …”
$220 billion Rise in national health care spending over the next 10 years(Medicare Chief Actuary) “… that guarantees access to care …”
15 million Number of new people added to Medicaid, where care is increasingly rationed and where provider choice is increasingly restricted. (CBO) 0 Number of new doctors and nurses trained and number of new hospitals built to meet the needs of 32 million newly-insured (CBO) ” … and enhances the quality of health care for all Americans.”
24 million Number of people who will enter a health insurance exchange where health plans will have an incentive to underprovide to the sick. (CBO/NCPA)
19 million Number of people predicted to lose their employer plan (Lewin Group) 8 to 9 million Number of people predicted to lose their employer plan (CBO) $11,543 Employer incentive to drop coverage for a $30,000 a year worker with family [Tax subsidy in the exchange minus tax subsidy at work minus $2,000 fine] (IRET) 8.5 million Number of seniors and disabled people at risk of losing their Medicare Advantage plan (Medicare Chief Actuary) 3 million Additional people who will likely lose Medicare Advantage plan benefits (Medicare Chief Actuary) $816 Average annual benefit loss for 11 million seniors and disabled in Medicare Advantage plans (CBO) 33 million Number of people in traditional Medicare at risk of losing access to care because of $523 billion in cuts in Medicare spending (Medicare Chief Actuary) 20% Fraction of hospitals that would become unprofitable after Medicare spending cuts (Medicare Chief Actuary) “This is not about big government …”
16,500 Additional IRS auditors needed to enforce the legislation (Ways and Means Minority Report) “This legislation will protect families …”
$6,000 to $10,000 Marriage penalty if two $32,000-a-year workers say “I do.” (Ways and Means Minority Report) “We are going to get rid of the special deals …”
$7,300 Extra exemption from the Cadillac premium tax for members of labor unions. (Ways and Means Minority Report) “This bill will reduce the federal deficit …”
$562 billion Increase in the deficit after removing budget gimmicks and unrealistic tax increases and budget cuts relegated to future Congresses (CBO former director)
Last night, March 21, 2010, the congressional vote announced a change in America that has been compared to the institution of social security and medicaid. This highly controversial issue has sent rivets throughout the country as the American people either cringe or celebrate. Today in our news update, we have posted 4 links to provide information on what the health care reform vote means to us and some of the implications for today and in the future.
Democrats hail landmark US healthcare bill
Democrats have hailed the approval of legislation extending healthcare to an additional 32 million Americans as a historic advance in social justice.
The speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi said it was comparable to the establishment of Medicare and Social Security.
The bill was passed in the House on Sunday evening by just seven votes.
Sebelius: Americans Will Embrace Health Reform
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius says that, despite a new CBS News poll showing widespread skepticism and confusion, Americans will be “enthusiastic” about the health reform bill passed by the House of Representatives once they understand it.
“I think what’s been going on for the better part of a year is a lot of attempts to confuse and scare Americans,” Sebelius told “Early Show” co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez.
Sebelius said she was “absolutely convinced” that “once people understand what’s in the bill and the fact that a lot of what they’ve been hearing has never been contemplated, has never been in the bill, that they’ll be very enthusiastic about what congress did last night.”
Health care bills change game for states
The package of health care legislation passed by the U.S. House Sunday night (March 21) would bring major changes to patients and the medical system that treats them, but it also could shake up state government in ways felt in the courtroom, on the campaign trail and in regulatory offices.
Three Republican state attorneys general — from Florida, South Carolina and Virginia — are chomping at the bit to challenge the planned changes in court. In Virginia, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli vowed to file suit “as soon as the ink is dry” from President Obama’s signature on the bills, the Washington Post reports.Cuccinelli’s legal reasoning for attacking the scheme hinges on a mandate that would require individuals to buy health insurance. He says the requirement goes beyond Congress’ authority to regulate interstate commerce, the rationale for federal action.
Will Obama now blame GOP for faults in his health care plan?
After Democrats finish dancing in the streets to celebrate narrow passage of new health care laws Sunday night, they’re likely to switch to another favorite pastime: shifting blame.
Why? Because there are two bills, with one being enacted into law but the other still hung up in the process, very possibly indefinitely.
That will likely lead to a classic game of political spin and propaganda. President Obama’s has admitted that the first bill—which passed and he is signing into law—is deeply flawed. But the second bill—the supposed clean-up-and-fix-the-first bill—may never become law.
In today’s news updates we provide links to health care updates.
Key Democrats Still in Play as Health Vote Approaches
WASHINGTON — House Democrats, entering the final 48-hour countdown on their yearlong effort to overhaul the health care system, emerged from a caucus meeting on Friday morning amid signs that crucial votes remained in play in both directions.
Full text of President Obama’s speech on health reform
The link above will forward you to the text from President Obama’s speech at Georgetown University.
Caterpillar Opposes Health Care Bill, AARP and AMA Support It
As Congress prepares for a final vote on health care reform legislation, an executive from Caterpillar, Inc., notified the Democratic and Republican leaders of the House that the company is asking legislators to vote against the health care reform bill because it will drive up the company’s health care costs “by more than 20 percent (over $100 million) in the first year alone and put at risk the coverage our current employees and retirees receive.”
The January-February issue of Texoma Living! Magazine, featured an article, After more than 500 shows, Dennis McCuistion and Niki Nicastro still do programs about “… things that matter with people who care.”
Below are the first few paragraphs of the article. Click here for the complete PDF on the McCuistion Program after 500 episodes.
About ten minutes into the program a loud, chirping fire alarm went off in the studio at KERA-TV, Channel 13, and everything came to a halt. There was no fire, just noise. After a minute or two, the alarm stopped, only to start again in a few moments. It was ten minutes before things were sorted out.There was a benefit in the mishap, however. The guest, a man in a gray suit and baggy brown socks, had been hit with an attack of flop sweat when the red light on the camera blinked on. The perspiration had beaded up on his face, and his forehead was glistening. The interruption gave the makeup woman an opportunity to come on the set and dry him off. Taking off his jacket and complaining loudly about the heat from the studio lights, the guest, who had been thirty minutes late for makeup and was grumpy, decided to finish the show sans coat.
The floor director politely pointed out that when the show aired, it would appear that the jacket had suddenly —magically it would seem to the viewers—disappeared, so the coat went back on. Finally, all was put back in order, the imaginary fire extinguished, or at least the alarm thought so, the guest acclimated to the lights, which weren’t all that hot after all, and the taping started again.
The host, Dennis McCuistion, who has been doing this sort of thing for twenty years and is well schooled in the vagaries of television, was not particularly bothered. He watched the rerun of the tape up to the point the alarm sounded, and when the floor director gave the countdown and the action sign, he looked into the camera and restated the question the guest had been answering. The guest, who was prepared to name names in the collapse of the housing market, soldiered on, and in forty-five minutes or so another McCuistion Program was in the can.
In today’s news update we are covering a few links related to the 2010 census, health care and Obama’s transparency pledge.
Obama taking health care push to Ohio
Washington (CNN) — President Obama heads to Ohio on Monday to push for a health care overhaul.
Obama is set to deliver an address on health insurance in Strongsville, outside Cleveland.
The president will spend time “going through why reform is important, going through what it will do the minute he signs the legislation on behalf of millions of Americans, discussing what happens, again, if we decide now is not the time,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said at a news briefing Friday.
A decennial tradition that dates back 220 years to the days of George Washington continues today when federal census forms start arriving at more than 120 million households across the United States.
But hanging over this 23rd U.S. census are concerns about a decline in participation.
While the U.S. census has always evoked some resentment toward the feds for poking their nose into people’s business, there’s a sense that America’s distrust of the government has reached greater heights and could contribute to poor census returns.
FOIA-request audit shows response to Obama transparency pledge is uneven
The Obama administration’s first year of efforts to improve access to government information has yielded mixed results, according to an audit of Freedom of Information Act requests set to be released Monday. The report by the National Security Archive at George Washington University comes at the start of Sunshine Week, the annual attempt by federal groups and news organizations to promote better access to government information.
This last week in Dallas, the World Affairs Council of Dallas Ft. Worth, along with our host station, KERA, sponsored Rick Steves, social activist, author, TV host and travel expert. Steves spoke at the new Wylie Theatre to a packed house, in spite of the rain. He was as many viewers know him to be, charming and engaging.
However, I’m not writing about his ability to charm or engage an audience or even about his travel slides, all of which were certainly worth the price of admittance. I’m writing about some of his rather startling sentiments regarding travel and what it could be, but often is not. Steves doesn’t believe travel is about margaritas and fun in the sun, but that travel serves to humanize. It’s about meeting and talking to the people of the country. He says that if we get to really know about our counterparts in other parts of the world and how similar their values are to ours – their wishes for their children and their families and community are so similar to ours – “it’s tough to demonize them.”
From Merely “Other People” to People Just Like Us
Rick started his travels at age 14 when he and his parents visited family in Norway. One afternoon while people watching at a local park, he noticed that just as his parent’s world revolved around him, and they went out of their way to make him happy, and provide experiences for him, the other families were doing the same for their children. “Right then,” he said, “my 14 year old egocentric self took a huge hit.” He realized, “This planet is home to billions of equally lovable children of God.” He’s carried this understanding with him throughout his travels around the globe.
Steves tells us,
“Travel inspires creative new solutions to the persistent problems facing our nation. Travel helps de-demonize. We’re 4% of the total world population. God blesses us and everyone else too.”
He commented on how it [travel] broadens our understanding. He says, “Most people at the wheel have a vested interest and it’s not yours and mine.” Rick also commented on everything from anarchists to terrorists, fundamentalism to trade policy, stating “It’s trade policy that keeps people poor;” the European Union, drug policies, water challenges around the globe and military forces.
Not for the Faint of Heart
He didn’t spare himself either, “the two sets of braces I bought to keep my kids teeth straight could have paid for a well for water-starved people, so that a woman could stay home with her children and not have to walk most of her day to go get water.” Introspectively he said, “We’re better than that.” Rick Steves took no prisoners, castigating media as well for their continual dumbing down.
He’s not for the faint of heart and I’m not sure how he’d go over at a Tea Party, but this rainy Sunday he caused that audience to really think. I couldn’t help but be reminded of how Dennis and I strive for the same on our TV program, and in our speeches “when we talk about things that matter with people who care…” also not about dumbing down nor for the faint of heart.
***
Niki Nicastro McCuistion
Executive Producer/Producer McCuistion
