David Gratzer
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

David George Gratzer (born September 5, 1974) is a
physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...
,
columnist A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (periodical), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the ...
, author, Congressional expert witness; he was a senior fellow at both the
Manhattan Institute The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (renamed in 1981 from the International Center for Economic Policy Studies) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservative think tank focused on domestic policy and urban affairs.R. Emmett Tyrrell, ...
and the
Montreal Economic Institute The Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) is a non-profit research organization (or think tank) based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It aims at promoting economic liberalism through economic education of the general public and what it regards as effici ...
. Though he has written essays on topics as diverse as obesity and political campaigns, he is best known for his first book, published by ECW Press, when he was just 24: ''Code Blue: Reviving Canada's Health Care System''. That book won the
Donner Prize The Donner Prize is an award given annually by one of Canada's largest foundations, the Donner Canadian Foundation, for books considered excellent in regard to the writing of Canadian public policy. The prize was established in 1998, and is meant t ...
established by the
Donner Canadian Foundation Donner may refer to: Places * Donner (crater), a lunar crater * Donner, California, an unincorporated community * Donner, Louisiana, an unincorporated community * Donner Lake, a freshwater lake in California * Donner Memorial State Park, site of ...
and was a national bestseller in his native Canada. Gratzer is a critic of the Canadian health care system, and of U.S. President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
's health care reform proposals. Gratzer was health care policy advisor to
Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani ( , ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and Disbarment, disbarred lawyer who served as the 107th mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney ...
's 2008 presidential campaign.


Early life

Gratzer born September 5, 1974, in
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
,
Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...
. Gratzer's father,
George George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...
, is a professor of
mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...
at the
University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1877, it is the first university of Western Canada. Both by total student enrolment and campus area, the University of ...
who emigrated from
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
to the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
in 1963 and to
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
in 1966. Gratzer's mother, Catherine, is a retired dentist. Gratzer's older brother earned his medical degree and now practices in the United States as a psychiatrist. Gratzer earned a
B.Sc. A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
at the University of Manitoba in 1996, was president of the
University of Manitoba Students' Union The University of Manitoba Students' Union (UMSU) is the university-wide representative body for undergraduate students at the University of Manitoba, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba.Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
of Manitoba to the University of Manitoba
Board of Governors A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulations ...
for four successive years from 1994 to 1998. In his early years, Gratzer was not particularly interested in health policy issues. As he noted later:


Medical school and ''Code Blue'' (1999)

Gratzer attended
medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, ...
at the University of Manitoba from 1996 to 2000 and earned an
M.D. A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of physician. This ge ...
in 2000. On November 15, 1996, during his first year of medical school, the ''
Canadian Medical Association Journal The ''Canadian Medical Association Journal'' (French ''Journal de l'Association Médicale Canadienne'') is a peer-reviewed open-access general medical journal published by the Canadian Medical Association. It publishes original clinical research ...
(CMAJ)'' published a
letter to the editor A letter to the editor (LTE) is a Letter (message), letter sent to a publication about an issue of concern to the reader. Usually, such letters are intended for publication. In many publications, letters to the editor may be sent either through ...
from Gratzer criticizing a June 15, 1996 ''CMAJ'' report comparing reserve funds held by the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) to those held by
medical malpractice Medical malpractice is a legal cause of action that occurs when a medical or health care professional, through a negligent act or omission, deviates from standards in their profession, thereby causing injury or death to a patient. The negligen ...
insurers in the United States. While in medical school, Gratzer was a regular contributor of opinion columns to ''
National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper and the flagship publication of the American-owned Postmedia Network. It is published Mondays through Saturdays, with Monday released as a digital e-edition only.
'', wrote a weekly opinion column for the ''
London Free Press ''The London Free Press'' is a daily newspaper based in London, Ontario, Canada. It has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Southwestern Ontario. History ''The London Free Press'' began as the ''Canadian Free Press'', founded by Willia ...
'' and the '' Halifax Sunday Herald'', and wrote columns on health care that appeared in several major newspapers and magazines, including the ''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...
'' and ''
Ottawa Citizen The ''Ottawa Citizen'' is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. History Established as the Bytown ''Packet'' in 1845 by William Harris (journalist), William Harris, it was renamed the ''Ci ...
'' and ''
Calgary Herald The ''Calgary Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Publication began in 1883 as ''The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate, and General Advertiser''. It is owned by the Postmedia Network. History ''The C ...
''. A 1997 Gratzer column "Being a young conservative is nothing to apologize for" said "I am a conservative. This is somewhat unfortunate, as people don't seem to understand how anyone under 40 can be right-wing." A 1999 Gratzer column "Raising the minimum wage hurts the poor it hopes to help" lamented that even "two of Canada's three right-leaning governments have chosen to hike their minimum wages" and that "minimum wage earners are not underpaid but underproductive" Gratzer won $250 as fourth place runner-up in 1998–1999 and won $2,500 as first prize in the 1999–2000
Felix Morley Felix Muskett Morley (January 6, 1894 – March 13, 1982) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and college administrator from the United States. Biography Morley was born in Haverford, Pennsylvania, his father being the mathematician Frank Mo ...
Journalism Competition of the
Institute for Humane Studies The Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) is a non-profit organization that promotes the teaching and research of classical liberalism in higher education in the United States. IHS offers funding opportunities, programs, and events for faculty and g ...
at
George Mason University George Mason University (GMU) is a Public university, public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., the university is named in honor of George Mason, a Founding Father ...
for his newspaper columns. During his second year of medical school, Gratzer began writing a book about problems with the Canadian health care system but could not get anyone interested. Rejection letters piled up after he completed the book and he had doubts about his ability to get taken seriously until his third year of medical school, when
Robert Lecker Robert Lecker (born 1951) is a Canadian scholar, author, and Greenshields Professor of English at McGill University, where he specializes in Canadian literature. He received the H. Noel Fieldhouse Award for Distinguished Teaching at McGill Univer ...
, professor of
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
at
McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...
and co-founder of
ECW Press ECW Press is a Canadian book publisher located in Toronto, Ontario. It was founded by Jack David and Robert Lecker in 1974 as a Canada, Canadian literary magazine named ''Essays on Canadian Writing''. They started publishing trade and scholar ...
agreed to publish his book. In August 1999, during his fourth year of medical school, ECW Press published the 24-year-old Gratzer's first book, ''Code Blue: Reviving Canada's Health Care System'' Gratzer wrote about deficiencies in Canadian health care and argued that they were the direct result of the system's design, and thus not amendable to simple reforms. Gratzer called for market-based reforms. He won praise from a former Member of Parliament, Stephen Harper, who wrote: "Gratzer proposes a workable solution for the biggest public policy problem of the coming generation—government-controlled health care monopoly… Canada needs Gratzer’s solution." Harper later became the
Prime Minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada () is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority of the elected House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons ...
. On May 4, 2000, Gratzer was awarded $25,000 by the
Donner Canadian Foundation Donner may refer to: Places * Donner (crater), a lunar crater * Donner, California, an unincorporated community * Donner, Louisiana, an unincorporated community * Donner Lake, a freshwater lake in California * Donner Memorial State Park, site of ...
as winner of its second annual
Donner Prize The Donner Prize is an award given annually by one of Canada's largest foundations, the Donner Canadian Foundation, for books considered excellent in regard to the writing of Canadian public policy. The prize was established in 1998, and is meant t ...
for best public policy book of 1999 for ''Code Blue''.


Residency and ''Better Medicine'' (2002)

In June 2000, Gratzer graduated from medical school and in July 2000 began a five-year psychiatry
residency Residency may refer to: * Artist-in-residence, a program to sponsor the residence and work of visual artists, writers, musicians, etc. * Concert residency, a series of concerts performed at one venue * Domicile (law), the act of establishing or m ...
program at the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...
. During his psychiatry residency, Gratzer continued to write newspaper opinion columns. A 2001 Gratzer column "Make room for prescription drug ads on television" advocated allowing
direct-to-consumer advertising Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) refers to the pharmaceutical marketing, marketing and advertising of medication, pharmaceutical products directly to consumers as patients, as opposed to specifically targeting health professionals. The term ...
of
prescription drug A prescription drug (also prescription medication, prescription medicine or prescription-only medication) is a pharmaceutical drug that is permitted to be dispensed only to those with a medical prescription. In contrast, over-the-counter drugs c ...
s on television in Canada (the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
are the only countries that allow direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs). In April 2002, ECW Press published ''Better Medicine: Reforming Canadian Health Care'' a book of essays edited by Gratzer. The collection of essays had 17 contributors from 3 countries and 2 continents. Essayists included historian
Michael Bliss John William Michael Bliss (January 18, 1941 – May 18, 2017) was a Canadian historian and author. Though his early works focused on business and political history, he also wrote biographies of physicians Frederick Banting, William Osler and Har ...
and columnist
Margaret Wente Margaret Wente (born 15 February 1950) is a Canadian journalist and was a long-time columnist for ''The Globe and Mail'' until August 2019. She received the National Newspaper Award for column-writing in 2000 and 2001. In 2012, Wente was foun ...
. Dr.
Victor Dirnfeld The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
, a physician and former president of the Canadian Medical Association, wrote the introduction. Gratzer co-wrote an essay on market reforms seen in various European countries, and also wrote the concluding essay on medical savings accounts. In September 2002, Gratzer was one of 25 Canadians under age 30 featured in a ''
Maclean's ''Maclean's'' is a Canadian magazine founded in 1905 which reports on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, trends and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian ...
'' "Leaders of Tomorrow" cover story. In 2002, while still a psychiatry resident, Gratzer joined the
Manhattan Institute The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (renamed in 1981 from the International Center for Economic Policy Studies) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservative think tank focused on domestic policy and urban affairs.R. Emmett Tyrrell, ...
as a senior fellow. In 2004, Gratzer was first author of a
peer-reviewed Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work ( peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...
brief report "Lifetime rates of alcoholism in adults with anxiety, depression, or co-morbid depression/anxiety: a community survey of Ontario" published in the ''Journal of Affective Disorders''. On June 28, 2005, Gratzer testified in support of H.R. 2355, the Health Care Choice Act of 2005, at a hearing of the
U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
Subcommittee on Health of the
Committee on Energy and Commerce A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly or other form of organization. A committee may not itself be considered to be a form of assembly or a decision-making body. Usually, an assembly o ...
.


Independent practice and ''The Cure'' (2006)

On June 30, 2005, Gratzer completed his University of Toronto psychiatry residency and became
registered Registered may refer to: * Registered mail, letters, packets or other postal documents considered valuable and in need of a chain of custody * Registered trademark symbol, symbol ® that provides notice that the preceding is a trademark or service ...
for independent practice of medicine in Ontario. In April 2006, Gratzer became
licensed A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...
to practice medicine in
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
. In May 2006, Gratzer became
board-certified Board certification is the process by which a physician, veterinarian, or other professional demonstrates a mastery of advanced knowledge and skills through written, oral, practical, or simulator-based testing. Certification bodies There are mor ...
in psychiatry. In October 2006,
Encounter Books Encounter Books is a book publisher in the United States known for publishing conservative authors. It was named for '' Encounter'', the now defunct literary magazine founded by Irving Kristol and Stephen Spender. Based in New York City since 20 ...
published Gratzer's book, ''The Cure: How Capitalism Can Save American Health Care'', about problems with the United States health care system. The book advocated moving health-care decisions closer to individuals and their families. Gratzer cited health savings accounts as a success story and bemoaned the state of health care in countries with government-run systems. He advocated various reforms: Gratzer proposed turning over all current federal funding for Medicaid to
state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
governments A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a m ...
in the form of
block grant A block grant is a grant-in-aid of a specified amount from a larger government to a smaller regional government body. Block grants have less oversight from the larger government and provide flexibility to each subsidiary government body in terms ...
s to experiment with, using welfare reform as a model; tightening Medicaid eligibility for
long-term care Long-term care (LTC) is a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical needs of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods. Long-term care is focused on individualized and ...
; expanding health savings accounts; and encouraging the purchase of private
long term care insurance Long-term care insurance (LTC or LTCI) is an insurance product, sold in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Germany that helps pay for the costs associated with long-term care. Long-term care insurance covers care generally not covered ...
. In the last chapter, he proposed more far-reaching reforms while acknowledging that neither political party would currently advocate them: # "Making Health Insurance Portable": ending the
tax exemption Tax exemption is the reduction or removal of a liability to make a compulsory payment that would otherwise be imposed by a ruling power upon persons, property, income, or transactions. Tax-exempt status may provide complete relief from taxes, redu ...
of employer-provided health insurance and scrapping government regulations mandating what conditions and whom and at what rates private health insurance companies must provide coverage, thereby making it easier for families to purchase health insurance through their employer, their union, or their church; # "Shoring up Medicare": pre-funding the program (either through individual accounts or a trust fund), and raising the Medicare eligibility age to 70; # "Creating a Market for Medical Progress": ending the
FDA The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...
's requirement that drugs demonstrate "efficacy", and return to only requiring pre-marketing demonstration of ''safety''. The Foreword was written by Nobel Laureate
Milton Friedman Milton Friedman (; July 31, 1912 – November 16, 2006) was an American economist and statistician who received the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and ...
. He wrote: "David Gratzer is a practicing psychiatrist who combines firsthand knowledge of medical practice in both his native Canada and the U.S. with an independent point of view and a rare capacity for lucid exposition of complex technical material... If you want a well-written, interesting yet authoritative and thorough account of what is wrong with medicine today and how to cure American health care, this is the book for you." ''The Cure'' was named a "Top Ten Reading Selection for 2007" by the National Chamber Foundation.


2008 campaign and beyond

On July 30, 2007,
Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani ( , ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and Disbarment, disbarred lawyer who served as the 107th mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney ...
's 2008 presidential campaign named Gratzer as one of his five key health care policy advisors, along with
Hoover Institution The Hoover Institution (officially The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace and formerly The Hoover Institute and Library on War, Revolution, and Peace) is an American public policy think tank which promotes personal and economic ...
senior fellow Dan Kessler,
Hoover Institution The Hoover Institution (officially The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace and formerly The Hoover Institute and Library on War, Revolution, and Peace) is an American public policy think tank which promotes personal and economic ...
senior fellow Scott Atlas,
Pacific Research Institute The Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy (PRI) is a California-based free-market think tank which promotes "the principles of individual freedom and personal responsibility" through policies that emphasize a free economy, private initi ...
president and CEO Sally Pipes, and The Moran Company founder and president Donald Moran.
During the campaign, Giuliani championed interstate health-insurance markets and tax parity for non-employer purchases of health insurance, both positions favored by Gratzer. Giuliani said that his chance of surviving prostate cancer was 82% in the US, but only 44% under socialized medicine in England. Giuliani got his facts from the Manhattan Institute, in an article by Gratzer. Many cancer experts said that Gratzer was wrong, because he incorrectly compared survival statistics. Gratzer responded by citing economist
John Goodman John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He rose to prominence in television before becoming an acclaimed and popular film actor. Goodman has received List of awards and nominations received by John Goodman, various acc ...
, co-founder and president of the
National Center for Policy Analysis The National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) was a non-profit American think tank whose goals were to develop and promote private alternatives to government regulation and control. Topics it addressed include reforms in health care, taxes, So ...
(NCPA), by economist June O'Neill, and by U.S. Constitutional historian and health policy expert
Betsy McCaughey Elizabeth Helen McCaughey (; born October 20, 1948), formerly known as Betsy McCaughey Ross, is an American politician who was the lieutenant governor of New York from 1995 to 1998, during the first term of Governor George Pataki. She unsuccessf ...
, a former
John M. Olin John Merrill Olin (November 10, 1892 – September 8, 1982) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was the son of Franklin W. Olin. Early life and education Born in Alton, Illinois, Olin graduated from Cornell University with a B.S ...
fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Gratzer also cited a September 2007 '' Lancet Oncology'' article which he said found superior cancer outcomes in the United States for 16 cancers when compared to European countries. After Giuliani withdrew, Gratzer endorsed the McCain health-care proposal. Gratzer testified several times during the recent health-care reform debates, including before the House Budget and Ways and Means Committees. In a June 2009 U.S. Congressional hearing on the issue of
single-payer health care Single-payer healthcare is a type of universal healthcare, in which the costs of essential healthcare for all residents are covered by a single public system (hence "single-payer"). Single-payer systems may contract for healthcare services from pr ...
, Gratzer and U.S. Rep.
Dennis Kucinich Dennis John Kucinich ( ; October 8, 1946) is an American politician. Originally a Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, Kucinich served as U.S. Representative from Ohio's Ohio's 10th congressional district, 10th congressional district fro ...
( D- OH) clashed over Canadian healthcare statistics. According to a June 29, 2009, front-page article in Canada's ''
National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper and the flagship publication of the American-owned Postmedia Network. It is published Mondays through Saturdays, with Monday released as a digital e-edition only.
'', "armed with a stack of statistics about patient wait lists in Canada, and a fusillade of dire warnings about the life-threatening consequences of government-managed care," Gratzer "has emerged as the go-to expert witness for GOP lawmakers hoping to sow doubt in Congress about the wisdom of embracing Mr. Obama's call for a
public health insurance option The public health insurance option, also known as the public insurance option or the public option, is a proposal to create a government-run health insurance agency that would compete with other private health insurance companies within the Unite ...
to compete with private insurers." In July 2009, he appeared on 20/20 to discuss health care. In November 2009,
Encounter Books Encounter Books is a book publisher in the United States known for publishing conservative authors. It was named for '' Encounter'', the now defunct literary magazine founded by Irving Kristol and Stephen Spender. Based in New York City since 20 ...
published a short book of his criticism of the White House plans, ''How Obama’s Government Takeover of Health Care Will Be a Disaster''. Gratzer continues to comment and debate on health-care issues. He is founding contributor to both FrumForum (formerly NewMajority) and the Canadian version of the Huffington Post. With former Senate Majority Leader
Bill Frist William Harrison Frist (born February 22, 1952) is an American physician, businessman, conservationist and policymaker who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1995 to 2007. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as ...
, he debated at the Munk Debates. More recent work has focused on obesity. In a widely reprinted ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' piece, he argued that society was suffering from a McVictim Syndrome with " o many pundits, public health experts and politicians are working overtime to find scapegoats for America's obesity epidemic." He rejects this: "governments can't micromanage your waistline for you. Even if governments could magically walk you to work, ban food advertising, regulate sugar out of food and suck those fat particles out of the air, in a free society you would still have the power to drive to the nearest restaurant, shake your salt shaker and order a second piece of pie. That's why understanding—and rejecting—the McVictim culture is crucial to obesity reduction policy."


Works

* * (editor) * Paperback edition (May 2008) . * * *


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gratzer, David 1974 births Living people Writers from Winnipeg Canadian male non-fiction writers Canadian people of Hungarian descent Canadian psychiatrists Canadian political writers Canadian columnists Rudy Giuliani Manhattan Institute for Policy Research