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.
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Niki Nicastro McCuistion
Executive Producer/Producer
McCuistion
Lawrence Reed is the President of the Foundation for Economic Education. The foundation was founded in 1946, which makes it the oldest free market think tank in the country.
Lawrence Reed joins Dennis and Terry Brock at Freedom Fest, Las Vegas for a conversation on freedom and responsibility, the influence of think tanks, and the role they play in influencing public policy.
Mr. Reed, a speaker at the conference, said,
“We need to learn from history… It has lessons to teach us if only well heeded. I drew from the experience with ancient Rome. If we abandon the principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility, expecting the state to keep the peace and leave you alone, we’ve started down the path to massive expenditures and burdens. And an ultimate loss of liberty. That’s a path we’ve gone down in this country quite some distance and we need to turn that around.”
Join Dennis as he interviews Lawrence Reed, who tells us more about the Foundation for Economic Education, the influence of think tanks overall, and the role they play in influencing public policy.
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As always, thank you for joining us as we talk about things that matter with people who care. Follow us on Twitter@mccuistiontv and give us your feedback and comments. We’d very much like to hear from you…
Niki Nicastro McCuistion
Executive Producer/ Producer
In today’s segment from Freedom Fest, Las Vegas, we hear from Ed J. Feulner, PhD. Ed Feulner is the President of the Heritage Foundation Think Tank.
During Ed Feulner’s interview with Dennis McCuistion, he comments:
I’m an optimist and a believer in growth, which means a higher per capita income for the little guy. We will survive this, we will come through.
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Freedom Fest, an annual festival where “free minds meet” to celebrate “great books, great ideas, and great thinkers” in an open-minded society, was founded and is produced by Mark Skousen (who’s been a guest on our program). Freedom Fest invites the “best and the brightest” from around the world to talk, strategize, socialize, and celebrate liberty.
Stay tuned for more from Freedom Fest!
Thanks for joining us,
Niki Nicastro McCuistion
Executive Producer/Producer
The McCuistion Program
During this third installment of Freedom Fest ‘on the run’ interviews, Dennis McCuistion interviews Steve Forbes on the fly while he’s onsite for Freedom Fest, Las Vegas.
During his short interview, Steve Forbes, President and CEO of Forbes Inc. says,
Capitalism will save us. It did not cause this problem, government did. It’s going to take a grass roots effort, a strong dollar and low taxes will do the rest.
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Freedom Fest, an annual festival where “free minds meet” to celebrate “great books, great ideas, and great thinkers” in an open-minded society, was founded and is produced by Mark Skousen (who’s been a guest on our program). Freedom Fest invites the “best and the brightest” from around the world to talk, strategize, socialize, and celebrate liberty.
Stay tuned for more from Freedom Fest!
Thanks for joining us,
Niki Nicastro McCuistion
Executive Producer/Producer
The McCuistion Program
