Medicare for All

Abstract

This article makes an economist's case for extending Medicare to cover all Americans. First, Medicare for All would achieve universal coverage and portability. Second, Medicare for All would eliminate health insurance distraction for business managers, entrepreneurs, and job seekers, thereby improving the productivity of the U.S. economy. Third, Medicare for All would use an internationally proven method to reduce the huge gap between medical-care costs in the United States and those in other economically advanced countries: payer bargaining power. Fourth, Medicare for All is easy to explain and may therefore prove politically feasible.