The U.S. Health Care System Is Structured by Interest Groups Not Ideas

Theresa Brown is far too generous to the U.S. health care system in her NYT column. She tells readers:

"Health care in the United States is more expensive because, unlike the systems in other countries, ours rests on the idea that profits and quality health care go hand in hand."

It is far too generous to say that any idea is behind the structure of the U.S. health care system. When the drug companies push for longer and stronger patent protection or doctors are trying to restrict competition...