Well my view is that the insurance companies have done awfully well and spent a lot of money on a lot of things that don't have anything to do with health care.

Our system of private health insurance that fails to provide coverage to so many of our citizens also contributes to the double-digit health care inflation that is making America less competitive in the global economy.

It is important for women to have a choice to have an opportunity to plan their families because if they don't the Republicans have said this is an ownership society. You are on your own and they're going to begrudge that child everything from WIC to a Pell Grant to health insurance.

San Francisco businesses face many challenges including high rents regulatory burdens and the rising cost of workers compensation insurance and employee health plans.

And in terms of their crown jewel legislative achievement: who knew that when asked 'will government impose a new federal mandate requiring middle class Americans to buy health insurance whether they can afford it or not?' The answer would be 'Yes we can!'

The reason Gov. Romney passed Romneycare as governor of Massachusetts in 2006 was because many Republicans viewed health care reform mandates and all as a way to inoculate against Democratic charges that Republicans didn't care about people who lacked health insurance.

I remember the first pangs of stress arriving at the end of school. Once I graduated I had to get a full-time job worry about health insurance saving money paying rent - things I'd never thought about before.

I believe we can incentivize more affordable health care in general by better regulating insurance and creating meaningful competition for health care services.

What I am saying is all health care has a problem with costs. Medicare is growing slower than the private insurance plans. Why? Because of their efficiency. They don't have to give money to shareholders. Why should be defending shareholders?

Do you know what the overhead is of the Medicare system? One-point-zero-five percent. Do you know what - private insurance is 30 percent in overhead and profits? Given a choice how I'm going to improve health care I'm going to take it away from private insurance profits and overhead. Wouldn't you?