Uploaded October 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Many people feel that “Medicare for All” sounds like a good idea: get rid of private health insurance and have the government pay for all medical care. But digging a little deeper reveals that creating government-provided coverage for all Americans while attempting to lower health care costs would come with some steep trade-offs. There are much less disruptive and more targeted ways to help those who cannot afford medical care.
For more information, visit the PolicyEd page here: policyed.org/intellections/inevitable-trade-offs-medicare-all/video
Additional resources:
Read Charles Blahous’s statement before the US Senate Committee on the Budget. Available here: hoover.org/sites/default/files/blahous_sbc_statement_5-12-22_edited_final.pdf.
Watch “The Fiscal Consequences of Medicare for All,” with Charles Blahous on PolicyEd. Available here. policyed.org/perspectivesonpolicy/fiscal-consequences-medicare-all/video.
Read “Input and Output in Medical Care,” by Milton Friedman. Available here. miltonfriedman.hoover.org/internal/media/dispatcher/214493/full.
Watch “How Government Policy Inflates Health Care Costs: The Curse of Cross-Subsidies,” with John Cochrane on PolicyEd. Available here. policyed.org/perspectivesonpolicy/how-government-policy-inflates-health-care-costs-curse-cross-subsidies/video.
Read “Unconstitutional Medicare-for-All,” by Richard Epstein. Available here. hoover.org/research/unconstitutional-medicare-all.
Visit policyed.org to learn more.
- Subscribe to PolicyEd’s YouTube channel: bit.ly/PolicyEdSub.
- Follow PolicyEd on Twitter: bit.ly/PolicyEdTwit.
- Follow PolicyEd on Instagram: bit.ly/PolicyEdInsta.
Many people feel that “Medicare for All” sounds like a good idea: get rid of private health insurance and have the government pay for all medical care. But digging a little deeper reveals that creating government-provided coverage for all Americans while attempting to lower health care costs would come with some steep trade-offs. There are much less disruptive and more targeted ways to help those who cannot afford medical care.
For more information, visit the PolicyEd page here: policyed.org/intellections/inevitable-trade-offs-medicare-all/video
Additional resources:
Read Charles Blahous’s statement before the US Senate Committee on the Budget. Available here: hoover.org/sites/default/files/blahous_sbc_statement_5-12-22_edited_final.pdf.
Watch “The Fiscal Consequences of Medicare for All,” with Charles Blahous on PolicyEd. Available here. policyed.org/perspectivesonpolicy/fiscal-consequences-medicare-all/video.
Read “Input and Output in Medical Care,” by Milton Friedman. Available here. miltonfriedman.hoover.org/internal/media/dispatcher/214493/full.
Watch “How Government Policy Inflates Health Care Costs: The Curse of Cross-Subsidies,” with John Cochrane on PolicyEd. Available here. policyed.org/perspectivesonpolicy/how-government-policy-inflates-health-care-costs-curse-cross-subsidies/video.
Read “Unconstitutional Medicare-for-All,” by Richard Epstein. Available here. hoover.org/research/unconstitutional-medicare-all.
Visit policyed.org to learn more.
- Subscribe to PolicyEd’s YouTube channel: bit.ly/PolicyEdSub.
- Follow PolicyEd on Twitter: bit.ly/PolicyEdTwit.
- Follow PolicyEd on Instagram: bit.ly/PolicyEdInsta.
