U.S. Health Care: The Free-market Myth Many critiques of American health care begin from the assumption that the American system is a model of free-market economics. But this is far from true. In fact, the government plays a massive role i...

“As those price-sensitivity experiments demonstrate, the ability of freely moving market prices to make health care more universal without central direction is nothing short of a marvel”.

U.S. Health Care: The Free-market Myth Many critiques of American health care begin from the assumption that the American system is a model of free-market economics. But this is far from true. In fact, the government plays a massive role i...

“Government health-care subsidies, state health-insurance mandates, and sweeping tax incentives for employer-sponsored health insurance further drive prices upward by reducing price sensitivity among patients and price competition among providers”.

Decrim over “Legalization”

If you think this is dumb, remember this is basically the entire New Deal.

Massachusetts regulators spring into action to protect consumers from [checks notes] low prices.

Image: omclicks.e.wgbh.org/...
Article ($): www.statehousenews.c...

Health Care Rather than creating yet more government subsidies, policymakers should eliminate supply-side regulations—such as clinician licensing and “certificate of need” laws—that reduce price competition and affordability.

Read the whole thing: www.cato.org/handboo... #CatoHealth

- Remove employment barriers to international medical graduates (IMGs)
- Recognize competing medical school certifications
- Repeal “certificate of need” (CON) laws

To make health care more affordable, state policymakers must:

- Remove state regulatory barriers to affordable health insurance
- Recognize clinician licenses from other states and and ultimately eliminate clinician licensing
- Free clinicians to practice to the full extent of their training

To make health care more affordable, federal policymakers must:

- Remove regulatory barriers to quality, affordable health insurance
- Recognize foreign regulatory approvals of medical goods
- Remove unnecessary prescription requirements, ultimately by eliminating prescription regulation

Government compels US residents to spend 14% of GDP on health, a larger share than total health spending in any other advanced country. Subsidies and compulsory spending are so extensive, patients here are less sensitive to prices and wasteful spending than in nearly every other advanced nation.

Today, the @Cato.org releases its Handbook on Affordability.

In our chapter, @dr4liberty and I explain that if subsidies delivered affordability, the US health sector would be a patient’s paradise. Instead, the United States is the world leader in subsidizing and mandating health spending.

Health Care Spending Is Out of Control Health care in America costs too much because we pay for it the wrong way. And it's all but certain…

“Because employers and insurers manage the costs for everything, patients have little incentive to shop based on prices or quality, which can be difficult to determine anyway”.

U.S. Health Care: The Free-market Myth Many critiques of American health care begin from the assumption that the American system is a model of free-market economics. But this is far from true. In fact, the government plays a massive role i...

“In a free market, government would control 0% of health spending. Yet the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reports that in the United States, government controls 84% of health spending”.

Obamacare already regulates premiums via “community rating” and “rate review.” If those were making insurance affordable, there would be no need for additional proposals. Yet premiums have grown 3x the rate of inflation and increased 26% in 2026, so here we are.

open.substack.com/pub/mfcannon...

i bet one of the astronauts immediately got up, grabbed their stuff and moved to get closer the exit

mfcannon.substack.co...

mfcannon.substack.co...

Unintended Consequences Government Podcast · Unintended Consequences is the podcast of Regulation magazine, produced by the Cato Institute. Hosted by Peter Van Doren and Paul Matzko, the show explores how government interventions can have surpri…

Hate unconstitutional wars? Love free speech? Hate racism? Want to defend marginalized communities?

You need to hear this podcast episode.

podcasts.apple.com/u... @pmatzko Paul Matzko

mfcannon.substack.co...

Guns vs. overpriced butter

CAP Health Care Proposal: Regulation Hasn’t Delivered Affordability, So Let’s Try Regulation To make health care more affordable and universal, we need a different approach.

open.substack.com/pu... Center for American Progress Neera Tanden @citizencohn.bsky.social Natasha Murphy

The Center for American Progress' health care affordability proposal pairs broader and tighter government price-setting with provisions that would increase health spending.

Congress tried that approach in the Inflation Reduction Act. Since then, Part D spending has exploded.

GOP-led states that cooperate with ICE surrender their power | Opinion Once state officers are given federal authority, the actions they take in the name of that authority are beyond the reach of state law and policy.

”an expansion of federal power that these otherwise rock-ribbed conservatives would dependably decry in other contexts“

Javadi be like ummm.

Kentucky’s licensing rules block sexual assault survivors from accessing care • Kentucky Lantern State licensing rules block Kentuckians' access to care from sexual assault nurse examiners and make it easier for rapists to stay on the streets.

“Sexual assault survivors should not face extreme barriers to care in their time of need…Kentucky should fix the system…The next survivor who shows up at a Kentucky emergency room deserves it.”

kentuckylantern.com/... Akiva Malamet @cato.org Kentucky Lantern

Unnecessary Relics Neither the Office of the Surgeon General nor the Commissioned Corps is necessary. Eliminating them and reassigning legitimate public health activities to other agencies would improve public health an...

www.cato.org/policy-analy...

Excellent @washingtonpost editorial telling Congress to eliminate the Office of US Surgeon General and the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps it oversees.

Mirrors the arguments in (and links to) our recent @CatoInstitute study advocating the same.

www.washingtonpost.c...

Kentucky’s licensing rules block sexual assault survivors from accessing care • Kentucky Lantern State licensing rules block Kentuckians' access to care from sexual assault nurse examiners and make it easier for rapists to stay on the streets.

“Lawmakers should be commended for finding ways to help survivors…They should go further and eliminate the SANE licensure requirement entirely.”

kentuckylantern.com/... @Alicia_Plemmons @akiva_malamet @CatoHealth Akiva Malamet @cato.org Kentucky Lantern

Kentucky’s licensing rules block sexual assault survivors from accessing care • Kentucky Lantern State licensing rules block Kentuckians' access to care from sexual assault nurse examiners and make it easier for rapists to stay on the streets.

“The first step is clear: Allow RNs to perform forensic exams under voluntary certification and other safeguards, as 44 other states already do.”

kentuckylantern.com/... @Alicia_Plemmons @akiva_malamet @CatoHealth Akiva Malamet @cato.org Kentucky Lantern