Healthcare Reform Obstacles

Every time I write about healthcare reform, I receive at least one comment about the need to get the government out of healthcare entirely. I’m not unsympathetic to this argument, but I think it’s unrealistic.

It is true that industries, which have seen the largest increases in costs over the past few decades, such as healthcare and higher education, are also some of those most highly impacted by government interventions. Since 1965, when the federal government got seriously involved in healthcare with the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid, inflation-adjusted per-capita spending on healthcare has increased more than six-fold, to an average of over $12,000 per person today.

Fixing America’s Healthcare System

Simplistic approaches to reform, such as “Medicare for All”, are unrealistic and would prove inadequate. To address our current healthcare problems, we should look to other countries for ideas, while looking within our own country to see what is possible. Then we can create a uniquely American solution for our citizens.