That's what you need to understand if you want to figure out what's going on. And the answer is pretty clear, based on the failures in Vermont and other places. We've allowed the health care system to grow to the point where it is no longer possible to switch without materially affecting a lot of people such that they are materially worse after the transition. We've got a political system that across the board allows special interest groups (which includes unions, retirees, medical providers, and others) to effectively exercise power in ways that do not occur in other systems.

The fact that health care costs in America are double, per capita, of what they are in any other country means that Americans, on average, are materially hurt by the current system. A universal streamlined system would materially benefit most Americans.

I saw a striking chart yesterday. Among OECD countries, America ranks 2nd in average wealth per capita, but it ranks 28th out of 30 in median wealth per capita. This demonstrates the extreme wealth disparity in this country compared to all others. A not trivial part of that is our health care system, where the costs and income streams are heavily skewed to favor those with a financial interest. That’s what we need to fix.

Most of us here are focused on what needs to happen to make things better. You’re focused on how the entrenched interests can prevent that from happening. It’s a battle America has fought since its founding, including the civil war. The fight is not over.