but the people in my circle make decisions "all by themselves" quite often. And suprisingly we don't need a community organizer to tell us what to think or help us fill out forms. No, for real, there are capable human beings beyond the Potomac out here.

"I need more cowbell!" SNL

Pardon me, but I read another poster's comment, and he (or she) wrote that the he or she was surprised that the liberals even allowed people to vote.

Hummmm..

Let's examine this statement.  Didn't the Democratic Party not allow thousands (or millions) of people's votes to count?  Isn't this what happened in the Democratic primaries this year with Michigan and Florida?  Were not all those voters' votes stolen or ripped off?  Didn't the Democrats used to call this "voter disenfranchisement?"

This year, the Democrats (their national party, that is), SELECTED, APPOINTED, DECLARED, AND THEN ANNOINTED their CHOSEN ONE to be their nominee.

So, no, the Democrats don't want you to even vote.  They pretend such is the case, but in reality it is not so.

Therefore, this idiot who thinks that folks can't choose their own health insurance coverage is just following the party (socialist party, that is) line of ORDERING folks what to do and THINKING for them.

It's all bad. 

“The idea that individuals are going to have enough knowledge and enough savvy and enough insight and, frankly, enough guts to make choices all by themselves is pretty much a pipe dream,” Johnson said.

Is Johnson actually suggesting that the government would do a better job?   Especially after the Feds did such a wonderful job helping everyone get homes by setting up Fannie and Freddy.  Yeah, that worked out swell.  /Sarc

If "individuals" aren't smart enough and don't have the guts to make the decisions, who will make them? A machine?

A year ago I realized that I was too smart NOT to have health insurance, and started shopping for it. Imagine my surprise when my AGENT was willing to help me shop for it!!!

There are a lot of people that need help purchasing such things as insurance (car, home, life, health). That's why insurance was generally sold through agents. People taught what the difference between policies are.

Granted, some of the agents will rip you off, but if you're shopping for ANY big ticket item, why would you settle for a single quote?!?

I have commented on my dislike for this Socialist in a suit previously.  His type, and worse, are the reason I am not a member of the AMA - they stopped talking for me a long time ago.  Amazingly, Johnson will not receive the deserved rebuke from the Left for this patronizing, bigoted, patrician schtick.  It is more important to elect His Hopelessness:  The Obama and further secure Socialism in America.

As others have commented here, many people make decisions on their selection of healthcare when they start a job.  Yes, the employer has pared down the number of choices prior to the employee choosing.  But, this is a key reason why employee's feel dissatisfied when dealing with their healthcare company.  It is the EMPLOYER that the healthcare industry considers the CUSTOMER, not the employee that utilizes the services. 

Since the employer pays for the service, the Healthcare Industrial Complex is only interested in keeping the employer happy, and only marginally so to begin with.  The employee is more like a servant that uses the master's credit card to purchase groceries, never getting quite the respect the one paying for the goods/services would/does recieve.

Healthcare companies can present a menu of service plans just like Human Resources does currently to the individual.  The huge difference is John and Jane Doe will be the ones paying the HealthCo.  the bucks, resulting in the Healthcare now catering more to the specific needs of the individual/employee instead of the basic, overriding financial considerations of the employer.  and competition will increase by HealthCo. resulting in improved value for the individual.

One issue not discussed yet is that Hospitals and medical offices will not welcome the increased complexity and money-draining time killing aspect of even more numbers of health plans.  Keeping track of what is or is not available when treating/diagnosing a patient is already disgusting, and will worsen when people go ala carte on healthcare.  So, more needs to be done to streamline insurance interaction inefficiencies.  That will probably require legislation since Healthcare has rarely done anything without a force applied. 

For those of you that may find contempt with that last statement, understand that the Healthcare Industrial Complex was granted immunity from federal anti-trust laws following WWII in an effort to spur medical coverage for all the veterans and their families.  This decision has culminated in the Charlie Foxtrot of HealthCo.'s today.  Grifters like John Edwards have also been instrumental in the healthcare mess.  Of course their are always a few bad apples in every profession, and physician's need to prune those incompetent doctors of their licensure.

What is not needed is LESS choice by the American public when it comes to their health.  I suggest Cuomo and Johnson move to Cuba where the weather's warm and Socialism will tell them how to breathe and for how long... since that is what they want done to us.

RRAM Tough! 

One of the most sickening things about "liberals" is their condescension. They exist in their own bubble, "knowing" that their point of view on anything is the ONLY point of view on anything. And like Fonzi on Happy Days, they can never admit that they are, or have ever been, "Wr,Wr,Wr, Wrong"! Witness Barry Obama concerning the Surge. Ironic that the "expert" on this show was being questioned by a Cuomo. His father, Mario, has always been one of the most condescending popinjays of all. Really, don't "liberals" just make you sick? They do me.

NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"

Come on lefties, come here and defend this. Explain why I'm too stupid to choose my own health care plan.

Next we'll be too stupid to choose car insurance plans, so the government should step in and decide that for me as well. Heck, why don't I just let them control the food stupply so I don't waste my own time choosing between chicken or steak.

Why would any American watch a news program that insults them like this?  "You're too dumb and weak to make choices about health care...but not sex or abortions!"

This is precisely the kind of tripe I just refuse to take in from the liberal media.  Good luck ABC with your "news" programs because they are not watched in my household.

Hey Dr. Tim....I don't believe this takes much savvy, insight, or guts.

https://www.ehealthinsurance.com/

... ABC’s medical editor, Dr. Tim Johnson, scoffed at that notion in a September 5 story.

“The idea that individuals are going to have enough knowledge and enough savvy and enough insight and, frankly, enough guts to make choices all by themselves is pretty much a pipe dream,” Johnson said. This man insulted EVERYONE in America.  That ABC would  entertain someone this ignorant is laughable. Typical elitist liberal. Drag the majority down instead of pulling the minority up. ABC;shame on u!

I would encourage everyone here to do the same.

here is the link:

http://abc.go.com/si...

Beware of the 500 character limit.

++++++++++++++++

Normally I don't root for the disease. But in your case I am willing to make and exception.

Hey, does this boob do his own taxes?  Does he understand the tax code?  Or does he hire someone to figure it out for him?

Has he ever figured out all of the forms and regulations for Medicare?  That was far more difficult to understand than my health insurance was.  Does he honestly think that the government can do better than that?

I spend far more time working on my taxes than I have on my health insurance.