Women typically pay more for healthcare services not because of maternity care, needed medical prescriptions, or high diagnoses of chronic illnesses – it's because they're hypochondriacs.
At least, that's what controversial Fox Business host John Stossell thinks.
“Women go to the doctor much more than men. Maybe they're smarter or maybe they're hypochondriacs,” Stossel said during a recent appearance on the network's Fox and Friends. “They live longer. Who knows? But if it's insurance, you ought to be able to charge people who use the services more, more.”
Stossel continued to tell host Steve Doocy that insurance companies were completely justified in charging women more than 30 per cent more for the same health coverage as men, and the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which outlawed the practice, “just kills the market,” he said.
“This mandating all this stuff it has to cover just takes away consumer choice,” said Stossel. “The competition of the market is the only thing that makes things better.”
Stossel and Doocy continued to rail against what they perceive as other mandates in the ACA, including “women pay(ing) for men’s Viagra” and people "in (their) 60s... pay(ing) for your maternity coverage.” (continued.)
#pb#
Fox News has been depicted as a voice for the ultra conservatives in the U.S., and criticized for a number of ludicrous statements and opinions. Sean Hannity, another Fox News host, had this to say about Halloween:
“Halloween is a liberal holiday because we're teaching our children to beg for something for free,” he said on October 31, 2007. “We're teaching kids to knock on other people's doors and ask for a handout.”
