This Hoover Institution ebook explores the hidden drivers behind
America’s soaring healthcare costs—from tax policy distortions to
anti-competitive regulations and cross-subsidies in Medicare and
Medicaid. Featuring insights from leading economists, it reveals how
well-intentioned policies have created a system where costs spiral
and innovation stalls. Discover why healthcare is so expensive—and
what it will take to fix it.
IT IS NO SECRET THAT THE NATION’S HEALTH
care system needs reform. Today, families face rapidly growing
insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs, making it difficult
for many to purchase care. Whether measured per person or as
a share of national income, the nation’s health care spending
dwarfs what other nations spend. And, worse, the costs are
rising. A growing share of workers’ paychecks go to health
insurance premiums.
Meanwhile, the federal government now distributes over a
trillion dollars in subsidies for Medicare, Medicaid, and other
federal health care programs. The result is that Washington
spends more on health care than it does on any other part of
the budget, including national defense or Social Security.
Read more here.