Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
At what point does paying for something become controlling it?
Milton Friedman traces the chain in healthcare specifically: government spending on medical care leads naturally to control over fees, since any payer wants to know what it's getting for its money. But control over fees doesn't stop there. It extends to control over the practices and behavior of medical personnel. Each link in the chain looks justified on its own.
The question Friedman is really asking is whether you can accept the first link without eventually accepting all of them.
At what point does paying for something become controlling it?
Milton Friedman traces the chain in healthcare specifically: government spending on medical care leads naturally to control over fees, since any payer wants to know what it's getting for its money. But control over fees doesn't stop there. It extends to control over the practices and behavior of medical personnel. Each link in the chain looks justified on its own.
The question Friedman is really asking is whether you can accept the first link without eventually accepting all of them.
