Evening Buzz: From Chastity to Chaz
Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
Tonight you'll hear from Chaz Bono, formally known as Chastity. As a little girl she appeared on stage with her parents, Sonny and Cher. About a year ago she began her life as a man.
"This was my journey and this, you know, I had to go through. I'm now so much happier, more confident. I don't know. My life just feels right now," Chaz told Anderson.
We're also tracking the high cost of health insurance. We're looking at why premiums have risen as high as 56 percent. President Obama is demanding answers as he tries to get health care reform passed on Capitol Hill. As Randi Kaye discovered, the numbers are sobering. Health insurance premiums have soared 131 percent in the last ten years costing the average family about $13,000 more over a decade. We're keeping them honest. We'll also talk with filmmaker Michael Moore, whose movie "Sicko" looked at the for-profit health care industry. As you might imagine, he's fired up.
We'll also bring you our latest report on our continuing series "Homicide in Hollenbeck." You'll meet a gang member who wants out. See how he's getting help to say goodbye to the bloodshed.
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Filed under: Maureen Miller • The Buzz |
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In Tampa, FL, someone needing an MRI gets a 40% discount if they don't have insurance. My insurance company is billed the extra $2,000 to help pay for the uninsured who need MRIs.
In a recent discussion with a 32 year old friend who's never had her own health insurance, she tells me she's not sure she wants it. Because, when she goes to the ER or the doctor's office, she tells them she doesn't have insurance and the ER charges her $200, and the doctor charges her $20. In both cases, she's paying less than what I'm paying for the same services, while I'm a retired federal employee, paying for my health insurance that's "subsidized" by the federal government, as what was once seen as one of the primary reasons to stick it out as a civil servant, no matter how much abuse I suffered at their hands (which still causes me nightmares since 1998.)
By the way, my federally subsidized health insurance premium increases every single year, usually equivalent to the amount of the 1.2% cost of living increase. This year, there was no cost of living increase, due to the economy. But, my health insurance premium increased by 35%.
My 49th birthday was yesterday. My diet is already financially forced to lean toward eating rice, beans, and ramen noodles, what I can afford. And, because my health is so poor, and I'm so disabled, I can usually only stand long enough to prepare ramen noodles, or dump rice and water in a rice cooker. I feel healthier when I can eat meat and produce. But, I can't afford it. I miss the cut-off to qualify for food stamps. I take up to 15 Rx meds every day, and the only reason I can have them is because of a mailorder pharmacy portion of my healthplan, which disqualifies me for free meds from pharmaceutical companies. My life savings was spent in the last year on medical copayments and co-insurance costs for diagnostic testing, etc. (and I declined to have further diagnostic testing done.) Suicide is looking more and more like the best option, every day.
I dont understand how chaz or anyone else for all that matters,can believe that they can wake up one day and change what they were created to be.
There is nothing that has been created that was given the ablity to change it's existance's.
We are created to be what we are, and tested with the gift of knowleged of technology to see what we will do with it.
NOTHING, and I'mean nothing in creation can deside today I don't wish to be this anymore I want to be that.
Granted with You may sound an apear to look like what your lower desires crave to be,but this will NEVER be an reallity, you are what you are and your being tested with two choices you've been given.
The day when a trans-gender man carries a baby it's 9mouth term in (His) womb and give's birth and a transgender women impregnates a man with her (P... ), that's is the day when I'll believe.
P.S And Chaz dose not sound like a man.
I dont doubt for a second the psycolgical confusion and anguish Chastity Bono has gone through as a woman. I would never want to walk in her shoes nor do I think would anybody else. Just because you think you were suppose to be a man does not mean you were.
The condition of the mind determines ones outlook or view of ones self. You can condition your mind to feel and believe many things that are not true. In the end Chastity Bono choice to undergo sugery is a result of an internal struggle with her identitiy. Changing ones physical appearance is an external solution to an internal problem. Can a internal problem really be solved by changing ones pysical appearance?
Solid behind President Obama on HealthCare.I wish they would address the issue of having a elderly parent who is in a nursing home because i can't get 24 hr care at home.No Program for it and no money to make her wish come true about coming home before she dies.Hospice or other nursing related fields will only spend 4 hrs at your home.President Obama i hope you and the rest of you in Washington could hear me.
What a sad person. Can't even admit she's a beautiful woman.
As a psychologist and dad of a lesbian daughter who works tirelessly for the cause of LGBT (Lesbian Gay, Transsexual Bisexual) youth in Philadelphia, I watched the piece about Chazz with great interest. It would be interesting as a follow up to do a segment about the less publicized story of the partners of transsexuals. Is there a special category in the gender pantheon for women or men who are attracted to transsexualized opposite sexed partners?
Don Rubinstein, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist
I think it is wonderful that Chaz has listened to his body and his needs and that he has had the courage to make this change. I am grateful that as someone who is publically known, Chaz is using his status to bring more public awareness to the issues around transgenderism. Thanks and blessings to Chaz for putting yourself out there.
hey anderson this is mary from louisiana ..im 17..and watching chasity aka chaz on tv ,telling the viewers that she feels comfortable as a man more than she did as a woman made me want to speak life into her. (dnt pass,this up please hear me out)..chaz when u came out the wound 6od knew exactly what you were suppose to be. dont be blinded and deceived by the things of this world. the day u feel comfortable is where the downfall of life happens..dont be comfortable with the pleasures of the flesh..theirs something so much greater than loving a man or a woman and thats loving 6od then yourself and everything thingelse comes after..i have this scripture that i absolutely love and when im feeling lost i read it..its from new king james version and its isaiah 40:8..
Extremely sad!!! I remember seeing her come out on the Sonny and Cher show, She was beautiful and adorable everything a girl should be and God doesn't make mistakes.........unfortunately we do!
I feel for Chastity and the pain she has lived through.
Thank you for sharing Chaz's story of hope.
My response to the Chaz Bono feature that aired 3/11/10 > Chaz Bono is an inspiration to all. He did what he knew was right to make himself happy. Anyway, isn't that really what we all want no matter what it may be? Admit it, We all have our struggles in life and to overcome them is so fulfilling. I admire the strenghth and courage that some of us can find within ourselves and if it means helping others along the way, then that makes it more fulfilling.
I want to give a special notice to Anderson Cooper, he is an amazing person that knows how to handle all interview situations.
Anderson you are the best and on top of your game. Keep up the great work.
An admired fan of AC360
Glad to see more representation of transgenderism put in a good light.
This is a valid medical condition and needs recognition as such. Physicians and therapists are now being trained in gender issues to learn how best to help their patients. This was not the case when I was growing up. I am happy to see progress is being made, albeit slowly.
I feel fortunate in having been asked to participate in the educational process at Syracuse University.
I am totally convinced that after 40-45 years after the first use of chemical birthcontrol pills, that we are changing human physiology. The increase in sexual deviations that have become so pronounced in the last few decades really make one wonder. There has always been sexual deviations, but not with the intensity we are seeing today. I believe we are all human, no matter what. Sexual orientation should not be something we discriminate. We are what we are.....end of subject!! Now lets move on and find a way to have peace in this world.
one word FREAK
With a government system with expectations of bipartisanship, all you can expect is mediocre legislation. Most democracies allow the ruling party to rule, for a period of time between elections.
Two good outcomes are.
1. You actually get to see a coherent policy in place.
2. The governing party is accountable and will be assessed at teh next election.
The US is almost guaranteed a mediocre compromise, with each side blaming the other for it's shortcomings.
If Chaz doesn't lose weight, It won't really matter what sex he is. He'll be dead. Don't know if he's going for a "manly look" But Dang,he is BIG. Too bad really, Was such a cute kid.
Health Care, What Health Care, Makes me glad I'm Canadian!!!!!!!. Had 3 kids, 2 operations, Paid a big fat ZERO. Didn't have to worry about job or no job, Feed the kids,pay rent OR pay medical bills.I can go from Provence to Province traveling, If I get sick, I wave my little plastic Provincial Government health card. and It doesn't matter what I need. Your problem is Lobbyist's, Nobody should be paying anybody to vote on anything.
Health Care costs and health care insurance costs are both going way up. The medicare advantage program my mother was signed up under doubled its monthly premium plus changed its coverage of daily hospital care from no copay to a 200 dollar a day charge to the patient for the first 6 days. Everything else had gone up on the copays and down on what the program covered. So I understand all about the rising costs....looking forward to tonight's show.