. >> wendell potter was a former executive at cigna who visit aid place called remote area medical. that was started by a tv personality from britain. it sends airplanes into third world countries to provide health care. they realized there were places in the u.s. that needed -- equally needed that type of care. he literally flies in these jumbo jets and provides health care at fair grounds, nascar grounds, and when wendell potter went to visit one of these remote area missions, he saw thousands and thousands of uninsured people who were standing in line to get health care, and he had this crisis of conscience. he realized what he was doing, he was denying people access to care. >> he was with cigna insurance at the time? >> yes, and he realized he could not continue doing what he was doing. >> did he speak out before he left the company or after he left the company? >> he stayed in the country a couple more months, then he looked himself in the mirror and decided to resign. >> what does he do now? >> he wrote a book about his experience accident -- and speaks in lectures and write

let's bring in wendell potter, to sort it out. mr.ter is a columnist for the center for public integrity and "the huffington post" and author of the book "deadly spin." wendell, great to have you back with us here on "the ed show." >> thank you, ed. >> sort this out for us. when the white house says it has in its budget a cut of $340 billion, maybe up to $400 billion, is that going to hit beneficiaries? is that going to affect people that go in and see the doctor? >> no, not nearly as much as it would if they were to raise the eligibility age to 67 which is not on the table and it shouldn't be. or cutting benefits. and these cuts or reductions in payments are not targeted to doctors. at least at this point. they are to hospitals and to nursing homes and home health agencies. as you said, drugmakers. and these are areas that the medicare payment advisory commission has long said need to be -- these are cuts that should be made and has been, need to be made for some time now. >> now, i'm told by my sources on capitol hill that if you we

>> wendell potter was a former executive at signature in a. -- cigna. who visited a place called remote area medical was started by a tv personality from britain. they would send airplanes in to third world countries to provide health care. they realized that there's places in the u.s. that weren't getting -- that needed equally need that had type of care. and so he literally flies in these jumbo jets and provides health care at fair grounds, you know, nascar grounds, and when wendell potter went to go visit one of these remote area medical missions he saw thousands and thousands of uninsured people who were standing in line to get health care at animal stalls and barnes. and he had this crisis of conscience and he realized that what he was doing he was denying access to care. >> he was with cigna? >> yes. and he realized he couldn't continue. >> did he speak out before or after he left the company? >> he stayed in the company for a couple of months and then just couldn't keep looking himself in the mirror and decided to resign. >> how does he make his