Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 11/2009

Yes, Mr. President: A Free Market Can Fix Health Care

Michael F. Cannon

October 2009

The Cato Institute

Abstract

In March 2009, President Barack Obama said, “If there is a way of getting this done where we’re driving down costs and people are getting health insurance at an affordable rate, and have choice of doctor, have flexibility in terms of their plans, and we could do that entirely through the market, I’d be happy to do it that way.” This paper explains how letting workers control their health care dollars and tearing down regulatory barriers to competition would control costs, expand choice, improve health care quality, and make health coverage more secure.