Wife Of Victim From Michael Moore's Sicko Responds To Stossel Hit Piece
By Logan Murphy Monday Sep 17, 2007 8:38am
ABC News, the same network that neo-cons use to further their agenda, decided to look at the question of Universal Health Care in the US. Who better to investigate it than John "The Free Market Trumps All" Stossel? As is evident from the promo from last Friday's Good Morning America, Stossel's program looks like little more than a way to demonize Michael Moore:
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And the actual program was just more of the same: ridiculing Moore and touting the excellence that competition and profits bring our healthcare system.
Julie Pierce, whose husband was sentenced to death by their insurance company and featured in Michael Moore's documentary, Sicko, decided she had to respond to Stossel. We've documented Stossel's bottom feeding, tabloid style "journalism" in the past, from denying global warming to getting smacked down by a professional wrestler, his resume is beyond lame. Kudos to Julie for calling this clown out for his hackery...
Via MichaelMoore.com:
Dear John,
My name is Julie Pierce. My husband was Tracy Pierce. I am featured in Michael Moore's documentary 'SiCKO.' In the movie, I share my deceased husband's story — his unsuccessful battle with our insurance company to receive what could have been life-saving treatments for kidney cancer.
I just read your Wall Street Journal article written on Sept. 13, 2007, titled "Sick Sob Stories." You begin by talking about Tracy's role in 'SiCKO,' and claim the bone marrow transplant denied by our insurer would not have saved him. You also accuse me of "sneering" over our situation.
In your 'reporting' of this story, you did not contact me, and you did not contact my husband's doctors. I cannot believe that a publication like the Wall Street Journal would print such an accusation without talking to anyone involved — especially in such a personal matter, which resulted in the death of my 37-year-old husband and the father of my child.
If you had contacted me, I would have told you that bone marrow transplants became a last option, only after our insurer denied many other treatments again and again and again.
I would have shown you a letter from our doctors at the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at the University of Kansas Hospital, in which they argued strongly for the bone marrow transplant, citing "strong evidence" supporting the past success of that treatment — they wrote that it could "give him a chance to achieve complete remission." In fact, they called the bone marrow transplant "his only chance of survival."
Instead of calling me up and doing real reporting, all you can do is throw around studies from 1999 about the supposed inefficiency of bone marrow transplants for breast cancer patients — even though Tracy didn't have breasts. He had kidney cancer! I understand that you want to try to prove that private insurance in this country really isn't that bad. And I can see that you won't let the facts get in the way.
You go on to claim that Tracy wouldn't have received his transplant in a country with socialized medicine, either. Where is the evidence? Not only are more bone marrow transplants performed every year in Canada, but they invented the technology! So much for your ridiculous claim that "profit is what has created the amazing scientific innovations that the U.S. offers to the world. If government takes over, innovation slows, health care is rationed."
You are simply carrying water for the for-profit insurance industry that killed my husband. And then you have the nerve to accuse me of "sneering" about it. My husband has only been dead since January 18th, 2006. It is still fresh to me and my family, and comments like this are inhumane.
I have since tried to contact you via email, but you have not responded. I don't expect an answer. People like you just write with an agenda, without coming to the source or getting any facts, because your main goal is to try to discredit Michael Moore and universal health care. I understand it's a game — you did it without thinking about how you would hurt a family who have suffered — and are still suffering — such a tragic loss.
My family is not a "Sick Sob Story." We are a normal, American family that has had a significant member die from a horrible cancer that ravaged his body due to repeated denials from a health insurance company. We will never know for sure what would have worked because Tracy was never given a fighting chance. Over 18,000 Americans die each year because they don't have health insurance. I suppose theirs are "sob stories," too.
I don't want a hit-piece. I want answers. Why does our wonderful profit-driven system of medicine kill 18,000 Americans each year? Why do we pay far more for our health system than any other country, but have some of the lowest life expectancies and highest infant mortality rates in the Western world? Would you discredit the work of your late colleague Peter Jennings who, while suffering with lung cancer, did an excellent report titled "Breakdown: America's Health Insurance Crisis"?
I hope you have answers, but I am not optimistic. I pray that you will never have to go through what we went through — if you did, you wouldn't be so quick to cheerlead the system we were victimized by.
Julie Pierce
Mission, Kansas
(Thanks to Nicole for assistance)
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That's what Republicans mean when they say they are "pro-life:" that they care for the life of the unborn. Once people have been born, they don't give a damn: they are only too happy to let them drown, stave, suffer because they don't have the resources to get medical treatment, or have a bomb fall down on them.
John Stossel - Soon-to-become totally irrelevant Bush Propaganda Poodle looking for a new job.
asoudiere@hotmail.com @ 1:
The sheer hypocrisy of these reichwing christofascists is amazing. They profess to care more for a cluster of cells than the unnecessary, amoral, vulgar deaths of innocent iraqis and our own military. They claim to be "pro life" and then openly admit that killing a surgeon who performs abortions is doing "god's work". I'd say that this level of hypocrisy is what the term "evil" and "devil" is all about. It's speaking with a forked tongue.
Perhaps one of the most blatant examples of how very much our so-called news media are in the pockets of the extremely wealthy. And, as Julie demonstrates it is not just those without insurance who suffer. What the story does not mention is that even should their carrier have permitted the procedure their lives would have been held in bondage for the rest of their lives as they attempted to pay off their portion of the cost. And probably those moneys would be going to a hospital owned by the very insurance company to which they pay their monthly premium! This IS sick. And it has GOT TO stop. When a simple test like a colonoscopy costs 600$ after insurance payments, what would something like this have run?
We must hold Democrats feet to the fire on this issue.
Stossel is a pure tool.
Looks like Stossel needs to have another wrestler beat the crap out of him.... then be denied treatment by his insurer.
I wonder if undertakers vote Republican? After all, Republican policies increase their turnover.
This form of obviously hypocritical mindset will make the pro-life movement obsolete. They don't need detractors or pro-choicers to fight them. Their own enemy is right within them and selective use of the term "life". What a joke they've become. An embarrassment, actually.
Scrapyard_Ape @ 5:
John Stossel is nothing more than a sycophantic, jackass, media prostitute who will pimp his soul for a dollar.
orion @ 7:
Every demonstration I've seen typically involves over-the-hill old men who couldn't sire a child if their life depended upon it, old bag ladies, or frantic high school dropouts looking for some reason to be alive.
Scrapyard_Ape @ 5:
That wrestler smacked Stossel's down to the floor twice and like a typical right wing bully when confronted Stossel pissed himself and ran away faster than a neocon from combat duty.
I saw most of this program, but was not able to stomach it in it's entirety. The message it imparted to me was that Mr. Stossel's opinion was that insurance is expensive because people are needlessly overusing the medical system and abusing their insurance companies by ordering luxury treatments. The program was an ill informed travesty. Shame on ABC.
Reading the phrase "competition and profits" gave me a flashback to the early 70's. No not that kind of flashback. I used to love the album jackets of that time because they were often as entertaining as the music. On a Shawn Phillips album he asked a question that took me a long time to figure out. It was:
What is the acronym for competition?
Give it a shot. If you can come up with a word, then which one is better? I hope that this is not considered off topic because in my view it may be the heart of most of the problems we see in our society today including health care.
If ABC is going to prostitute itself for the insurance industry, I say, boycott anything advertised on the station! Everything! start making a list of the advertisers on ABC, and cut the out!
Stossel is a whore. God I hope he reads this. Your waiters and your busboys are spitting in your food, you sellout bastard!
I am working on a documentary about John Stossel, it's called Dicko.
-GSD
I watched the 20/20 episode as well. When john stossel started talking about how health care is rationed here in Canada I turned the channel. ATTENTION 20/20 HEALTH CARE IS NOT RATIONED IN CANADA. When you started talking about the woman who had to be flown to the US to give birth because the neo- natal beds were not available in canada you said it was rationing. I think you might need to check the definition of rationing.
To restrict to limited allotments......... if health care is rationed in Canada as you suggest would tis woman have been flown to the US to give birth
"I cannot believe that a publication like the Wall Street Journal would print such an accusation without talking to anyone involved —”
The WSJ is now Faux in print. Get use to it!
Typical of the priviledged, pampered "we-distort-you decide" weasels who are providing America with "Information" ---
and hows that war working out for ya?
Clinton's "fix" of the health care problem is to force the poor to pay big money to the insurance companies...and when they get sick? well, the Stossel Effect says they probably won't get help anyway.
It's manditory highway robbery designed to make the insurance companies even more money, and make the poor even poorer.
We want "Dr. D" David Schultz! We want "Dr. D" David Schultz! We want "Dr. D" David Schultz!
http://www.rfvideo.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=3037
Stossel is just a Tucker clone. Or Tucker Carlson is a Stossel wanna be. They are birds of a feather. How did they get jobs on national TV?
I knew about Stossel's "report" but couldn't bring myself to watch it. Sometimes the mere viewing of such evil taints the soul. Stossel must be getting a fat envelope of cash from someone other than ABC.
Captain Kangaroo @ 20:
That is precisely HOW they got their jobs on national tv... they are corrupt parrots that will say anything as long as it gets them some stock options and a nice little place in Naples.
So America, the self proclaimed 'Greatest' country in the history of the world cannot come up with a system that works and is better than anywhere else?
I guess saying it, and being it, are quite different.
But, again, why should reporters be any different than Politicians?
John Stossel can go to Hell with his Cato Institute talking points. Let's see him live without his Disney and book checks and see if he can afford health insurance. ABC News needs to be boycotted
Milton Freedman mangles America from beyond the grave! Supply-side-trickle-down Reaganomics thrusts the Gods of the Free-Market solution, right down the throats of us all again.
This is complete Right Wing bull crap! The USA has an obligation to take care of its people. We are so far behind when it comes to humanities it is unreal. Five TRILLION for a war of lies and we cant get our people cared for medically? Not to mention the disasters we still have in New Orleans. Its time to take back our country and honor ourselves. DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR HUMANS NOT THE ECONOMY!!
when Stossel and Sawyer get sick they too will realize they wait in America , even under our private system,,,,, and should they be unfortuntate enough to get LYME DISEASE,.,, they get 60 days of meds, end of story. If you aren't better , GO AWAY>
Boycott ABC NEWS! anyone advertising on the network should be Boycotted!
It's quite simple really. Republicans are "pro-life" in that they are "pro-cheap-labor-life". Any un-educated child is a potential exploitive work force. Educate them, and your investment may not be returned (and you have more competition at the "top" of the food chain!). They become ill, they are no longer a positive asset in the system, so let them rot!
Simple math, really...
the issue the pro-corporate health "care" crowd never seems to bring up when they bash universal healthcare in other countries is - what can we learn about the challenges these systems face, and develop an improved version of universal healthcare? it's not an either-or proposition, but apparently, they have no confidence in the experts who could come up with a "third way" not-for-profit system. there goes a fantastic opportunity to build an outstanding system from scratch.
Stossel looks like a 70's era gay porn star.
is this an infomercial - Stossel providing perspective - LOL
What are we expecting from Murdock new political WSJ - facts.
CNN and FOX have never been about facts - why then should the WSJ
Get use to Murdock hateful hit jobs - it what the man is all about.
I think Stossel's ready for another pro-wrestler beat down.
Stossel is a self important boob. I don't think that I've ever seen one of his reports where he doesn't distort facts or leave out crucial elements to the argument.
His role in right wing lunacy isn't reporter, its prosecutor. The argument of a prosecutor isn't to include arguments, facts, or truths that would disprove his or his party's, but to set an agenda for "victory".
I find it sad that there are many who think that because that POS is on TV on in print that he has any value.
And yes, I'd say the same things directly to him
In my previous post I made an error. Make that two errors. The first was in violating my own rule to never post before at least on cup of coffee. The second was the word Acronym. It should have been Antonym. Sorry bout that.
The hope is that Ms. Pierce will send her letter to the Wall Street Journal as a rebuttal to what Stossel had written. But if she did, how likely would it be for the Journal to actually publish her letter?
When are Americans going to start using their brains? Rather than listening to crap like Stossel and crying, "That MUST be correct! Someone on teevee said it!"
...touting the excellence that competition and profits bring our healthcare system.
When insurance companies make a profit, I benefit... how?
Well duh... Pro-Life isn't about saving lives, it's about taking choices away. They would be honest and say there were "anti-choice" but they know people are cautious about taking the choices of others away. Stossel will never go what this poor family went through. He's just another rich a-hole that doesn't understand the limitations of the typical family income. Stossel might think that people should just work harder. But, not everyone wants to make their living stepping on the misery of others.
Boycotting advertisers on ABC is well and good, but equally(and probably more so) is
to email/call/write ABC(Disney) and let them know how we feel about the inaccurate
and deceptive (deceitful) broadcast by Stossel.
:(
I'm left with my mouth gaping wide open. Michael Moore's "Sicko" was greeted with near universal praise when it appeared because both sides of the aisle, so to speak, are affected by the poor quality and corruptness of our health care system. And yet little by little the industry, the politicians, and advertising are reversing the acceptance of Moore's film as a pretty damn good version of the truth into the smear his earlier films have received. It's one thing to replace politicians and a political system that is just plain not working, but what do you do about the millions of people who are just driven hither and dither by whatever market force comes along?
check out Stossel's basic argument. have no perspective on whether his points make sense or not, just though it would help to hear his own argument on the matter instead of repeating our own arguments over and over.
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/story?id=3580676&page=1
Stossel is an assclown. Even giving him benefit of doubt, (which he hardly deserves) i fail to see how he thinks he is in any way better than Michael moore in his own mind.
he does everything he would accuse Moore of doing, cherry picking facts, having agenda etc.. Which means at best he knows he is intellectually dishonest and is lying about it, or he is so myopically stupid he doesn't know the difference.
he is also is a Grade A Dick where Moore isn't
And don't forget John "You use cloth diapers!? Yuck!!" Stossel.
Lets put the next landfill in your neighborhood John.
orion @ 8:
Bingo. I saw this load of bull program also and it took about 10 seconds to recognize that it was just more of his corporatist propaganda. Good letter by Julie Pierce, of course she will never get a response, selfish sociopaths like Stossel and his Ferengi like brownshirts only care for themselves and their profit.
I can't say for certain, since I've only seen the film and not Stossel's piece, but I continue to wonder whether Tracy Pierce was denied treatment because he's African-American, and thus, with Julie, in a bi-racial marriage. I'm sure the hospital board who made the ultimate decision would vehemently insist that that wasn't the case, but I think we all know how subconscious prejudices - or bigotry in this case - often rise to the surface, particularly in instances like this.
asoudiere@hotmail.com @ 1:
rupubs = Love the fetus, hate the child.
Who's television network is it anyway?
Oh, I know Diane, it's soooooooooooooo complicated, it's hard to use your brain on this issue!
Tell it to us John Fossil, tell us why you're not even worth a wooden nickel in today's corporate sponsored media mindfuck machine.
Scoop @ 49:
It's a chump, not a choice!
It always amazes me that the people in Congress-most of whom are wealthy-get life time paid health insurance. They can certainly afford to pay for their own whereas there are so many people who work, have families but still can't afford heath insurance because it takes most of a families paycheck. That's even if the company they work for even offers health insurance any more. And more and more insurance companies refuse to pay for treatments just like this lady. It's a shame what this country has come to when our tax money is being spent on a war instead of it's citizens.
I wrote to ABC at least 10 years ago complaining about Stossel's half truths and straight lies but they continue to put this monkey (sorry, monkeys) out there to spew his venom. I believe in free speech but they need to make some kind of disclaimer, like "this is one man's opinion not based on any known facts". ABC has had a history of truth distortion-remember the 9/11 movie? I will no longer watch a movie that has Harvey Keitel in it. He has lost a fan. Boycott ABC. And lets not forget many of the other celebrities who continue to drink the Kool-Aid-boycott them all-Kelsey Grammer, Patricia Heaten, James Belushi, Morgan Brittany, Dana Carvey, Lara Flynn Boyle, Kurt Russell, Tony Danza, Tom Selleck, Scott Baio (like that one's a problem), are just a few that I have found. Stop watching these people. Let them know that if they continue to support those kinds of policies, then they pay the price of losing viewers & maybe soon they too will have the health care crisis at their doors.
I have been boycotting local and national companies for years that I know to be big Republican backers. It's past time to hit them where it will hurt them most, their pocket books.
19 Yonatan Says: We want “Dr. D” David Schultz! We want “Dr. D” David Schultz! We want “Dr. D” David Schultz!
http://www.rfvideo.com/index.a.....rodID=3037
Maybe that's why Stossel is such a dick to people who want to go see health care professionals. After all, *HE* got his sorry little ass kicked by a Doctor.
He is ling big time. If your problem is minor you get in line.
Last month I broke a tooth late after noon, I phoned the doc to make a appointment
next day. After 15 minute´s a´ cab arrived. In 45 minute´s I was in the chair.
I got my new tooth tree days later. 0,00$....
If I had been on miner wage ore unemployed I would have got a paid day off.
Stosssssssssssssel, that whiny voice. He is such a free market ideologue.
Way to go ABC! Ever since the flap about the abominable "The Path to 911" miniseries, I have not watched anything on the network.
Now they come out with this, using stossel, one of the smarmiest jerks they could find to shill for the healthcare and insurance industries. Thanks for giving me another reason to NOT watch ABC.
The Canadian healthcare system, although it is not the best with respect to wait times for care, provides everyone access to the care. There are not millions and millions of uninsured Canadians, who have no access of any kind to healthcare, as there are in this country.
When will the US finally realize that this is NOT the best country in the world in which to live? I know it is hard for the once renowned "beacon of freedom" - the USA - to accept just how far this country has fallen in all respects - from world respect, to finance, to morality, to fitting into the world community, etc.
Django20912 @ 48:
I think that was indeed a factor. She said as much.
Stossel has a whiny voice that just goes all over me. Typical NeoCon.
SickofitAll @ 53:
Like any of those has-beens are a problem not watching. ABC...Already Bottomed-out Celebrities.
Every piece he does should come with a disclaimer telling the viewer that he's long been a hardcore Con. At least that way people will know that they're being propagandized.
Stossel > Scumbag
I lived in France from 1992 through 2000 and never waited once in line to see a doctor.
No surprise that WSJ ran such a story. It's a Murdoch company isn't it, same owner as Faux Noise?
"I cannot believe that a publication like the Wall Street Journal would print such an accusation without talking to anyone involved"
This just goes to show our worst fears are being realized - now that Murdoch owns WSJ, it is going to become a political trash-talk tabloid, a vehicle for exactly the kind of crap Stossel espouses.
Thanks noen no.32. He does remind me of a 70's porn star! Perhaps Hairy Reems, no offense Hairy, you were great.
John Stossel is diabolical. You can see him engineering his hit pieces, selectively editing to prove his point. He wishes he was Michael Moore. I can't believe a major news organization, even in these Fox times, would have such a blatantly dishonest lothario on its airwaves. What an evil piece of shit. I wish he'd go interview a professional wrestler again. Honestly, I abhor violence, except when it is directed at John Stossel's smug face.
1 thing i felt i had to submit in th 1st few seconds of the Stossels report,,
coming from th UK, i found it both hilarious and agravating that he used reports of over long waiting lists, and th rediculous conditions of Britain's so called dental service as examples of how government sponsored health care is a failure.
he blatantly ignores th simple fact that th reason th UKs National Health service, once th pride and joy of popular socialism, is in such a state, is because it has been gradually eroded over th last 20 years by th unpopular intergration of free market style administration.
(ps: Long Live John Stewart)
I agree with the previous poster who said Stossel looks like a 1970s gay porn star. Nice Village People mustache, douche bag!
Notice that these right-wing hacks always attack the waiting times of England and Canada, which has state-run hospital systems. In contrast, countries like France, Belgium, and New Zealand all have state covered health INSURANCE, which is what we are talking about in this country. Anyone who has had medical problems in those countries knows that the waits are not a problem and they work BEAUTIFULLY. But I guess that wouldn't make a great story for an idiot like Stossel, so like any good right-wing "reporter" he just ignores those examples that goes against his argument.
My favourite John Stossel peice is where he gets slapped twice in the head by a wrestler after telling him he thought wrestling was fake.
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As a Canadian, I really have to laugh at this piece.
Going to Montana to have a baby?!!! ROTFLMAO!!!!
I pity you Americans for having such a corporate media. Incredible!!!
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.
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J-J-J-John S-S-S-Stossel is a turd.
Damn! - eat that , Stossel.
A better person for you to contact, Ms. Pierce, may be Ted Koppel.
And to you, STOP George at post #70 above - I've lost the context in which you are speaking, but employing the phrase LMAO seems inappropriate.
The UK NHS was underfunded during the Margaret Thatcher years. When Labour came to power, they promised to improve the service. That's where Stossel gets some of his press cuttings from.
Speaking as an Englishman, I would not swap the NHS for what Americans have today. No way.
"John Stossel"... I think I'll use that in place of "Cu-"... er, the infamous "C" word.
The only trouble I can see arising from this brilliant idea is with situations like "John Stossel, what a complete John Stossel he is".
I lost my wife to colon cancer last spring. She was 46.
My heart goes out to Julie Pierce and her family.
I hope John Stossel lives to be a very old, very sick man.
This guy should have used his fist:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=C35wyVQxXUA
I don't blame the Wall Street Journal and chastising the insurance industry for being a profit industry is not a fair stance.
There are thousands of cures out there but the insurance industry can't reimburse all possible cures. If that was the case, then who is going to pay for it.
A few years ago, I had a wealthy friend who died from pancreatic cancer. He underwent an elective surgery that he paid for because the insurance company wouldn't reimburse. The procedure prolonged his life for 3 months. Should the insurance company pay for this type of procedure.
In the case of the doctors saying that a bone marrow transplant for Mr. Pierce would have a good chance of success, on what evidence did they arrive at that conclusion. Of course, that letter was anecdotal opinions of success and the doctors know that. It probably didn't include any scientific, placebo controlled data of bone marrow transplants succeeding in similar cases to Mr. Pierce's.
We must all have great compassion for Mr. Pierce. However, concluding that insurance companies must reimburse every possible cure without conclusive reliable scientific evidence to back it up is not a defensible position.
I'm no fan of John Stossel, but I'm no fan of having government run health care either. WE ARE NOT currently a free market system when it comes to health care.
[deleted - check your attitude. Do not insult the posters here, read the commenting policy.]
Ken M @ 77:
The point of SiCKO is not that insurance companies should be compelled to throw away money on low-probability treatments; the point is that the insurance company-based healthcare system that we have is inadequate, and that we need to move to a single-payer system like most other Western industrialized nations.
Wishing these mental fuckstick's illness is pointless...repugs are already sick. They have a contagious mental illness that removes the ability to reason or understand things like 'empathy' and 'compassion'. It also removes their internal value system and replaces it with a plastic dashboard jebus [with pants around his ankles if they happen to be in government] and a giant dollar sign.
Ken M @ 77:
In cases like Mr. Pierce, I much, much prefer to rely upon "some" scientific studies as to
treating his illness instead of the pseudo, mythology of praying to some puported guy upstairs walking around on clouds who is going to take care of us.
JudyLou @ 58:
I think that was indeed a factor. She said as much.
The point was made quite clear in the film, yes. It's missing from her letter, however. She may have considered it OT to include it, but - I feel - to leave it out here makes the letter that much less powerful.
Dianne Saywer, "Thank heaven your doing this."
Both of these people have greath health care bennefits.
I have no health care. There is no line for me to stand in.
David @ 73:
I don't blame you, man. My mother can't even get her insurance to pay for the antihistimines needed for her extremely bad allergies.
vickif @ 52:
You want to talk about awaste of taxpayers money- Why am I paying for their healthcare, most of them are millionaires. My families been struggling to get by for the past four years, while my tax dollars were being spent on keeping a 100 year-old racist doucebag like Strom Thurmand alive.
As for ABC, it's all right wing propaganda now, it's just as bad as the Fake News Network. Boycott them both.