Broken By Design Part 6: Healthcare Solutions That Actually Work (And Why We’re Told They Won’t)

This is Part 6 in a series exploring how American systems are rigged against regular people. Part 1: The Rankings | Part 2: Language Manipulation | Part 3: Follow the Money | Part 4: Congressional Healthcare | Part 5: Employer Insurance Trap

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We’ve Documented The Problem. Now Let’s Fix It.

Over the past five posts, we’ve shown:

• America ranks 36th in life expectancy despite spending the most on healthcare
• The money goes to insurance/pharma profits, not healthcare
• Congress has completely different (better) healthcare than you
• Employer-based insurance traps you in your job
• This system is designed to extract wealth while keeping you powerless

Now let’s talk solutions.

Not vague “we need change” platitudes. Specific, proven, implementable solutions that other countries use successfully and that would work here.

And we’ll start with the most satisfying one first.

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Solution #1: Force Congress To Experience What You Experience

This isn’t the most comprehensive solution, but it’s the most important one because it would make everything else happen faster.

The Proposal:

Members of Congress must use the same healthcare system as the bottom 20% of Americans by income, or the median American, depending on how punitive we want to be.

Option A: Congress Uses Medicaid Only

The rule:

• All members of Congress must enroll in their state’s Medicaid program
• No supplemental insurance allowed
• No Office of the Attending Physician (shut it down or make it available to all Medicaid recipients)
• No military hospital access beyond what Medicaid covers

What would happen within 6 months:

1. Medicaid expansion in all 50 states
   • Currently: 10 states refuse expansion, leaving millions uninsured
   • After: Universal expansion passed in emergency session
   • Why: Members from non-expansion states can’t get coverage
2. Medicaid reimbursement rates increase
   • Currently: So low many doctors refuse Medicaid patients
   • After: Rates raised to Medicare levels minimum
   • Why: Members can’t get appointments
3. Dental and vision added to adult Medicaid
   • Currently: Only children get dental/vision in most states
   • After: Full coverage for adults
   • Why: Members need dental work and can’t pay out of pocket on $174,000/year (apparently)
4. Prior authorization eliminated
   • Currently: Medicaid requires approval for many treatments
   • After: If doctor prescribes it, Medicaid covers it
   • Why: Members don’t want to wait for bureaucratic approval
5. Prescription drug coverage improved
   • Currently: Limited formularies, high copays for some drugs
   • After: Comprehensive coverage with minimal copays
   • Why: Members need their medications

Timeline: One legislative session to fix everything.

Option B: Congress Uses Medicare Only (No Supplements)

The rule:

• Members 65+ use Medicare Parts A, B, and D only
• Members under 65 use Medicaid or marketplace without subsidies
• No Medigap supplements allowed
• No Medicare Advantage plans
• No supplemental insurance of any kind
• No Office of the Attending Physician

What would happen within 6 months:

1. Out-of-pocket maximum added to Medicare
   • Currently: Unlimited exposure to 20% coinsurance
   • After: Annual cap of $3,000 implemented
   • Why: Medical bankruptcy becomes a real possibility for Congress members
2. Part D “donut hole” eliminated completely
   • Currently: Coverage gap where you pay more mid-year
   • After: Continuous coverage at all spending levels
   • Why: Members can’t afford their medications in the gap
3. Dental, vision, and hearing added to Part B
   • Currently: Not covered at all
   • After: Full coverage included
   • Why: Members need these services
4. Prescription drug price negotiation expanded
   • Currently: Medicare can negotiate only 10 drugs initially
   • After: All drugs subject to negotiation, prices drop 60-80%
   • Why: Members are paying too much
5. Prior authorization eliminated
   • Currently: Required for many treatments and equipment
   • After: Doctor prescribes, Medicare covers
   • Why: Members don’t want to wait

Timeline: One legislative session to fix everything.

Option C: Congress Uses Median Employer Insurance

The rule:

• Members must use the median employer-sponsored insurance plan (around 80% coverage, $3,700 family deductible, $8,700 OOP max)
• No government premium subsidy (they pay full employee share)
• Subject to network restrictions
• Subject to prior authorization
• Can be fired/lose coverage if vote out of office (just like you lose coverage when fired)

What would happen within 6 months:

1. Prior authorization banned
   • Currently: Insurance can deny doctor’s treatment recommendations
   • After: Illegal to override physician decisions
   • Why: Members are dying while insurance reviews their case
2. Network restrictions eliminated
   • Currently: Out-of-network care costs 50% more or isn’t covered
   • After: All providers must be covered equally
   • Why: Members travel constantly and get stuck out-of-network
3. Balance billing eliminated
   • Currently: Providers can charge more than insurance pays
   • After: Illegal to bill patients beyond insurance payment
   • Why: Members get surprise bills
4. Out-of-pocket maximums lowered
   • Currently: $8,700 family average
   • After: $3,000 family maximum
   • Why: Members can’t afford $8,700 on top of premiums

Timeline: One legislative session to fix everything.

Why This Solution Matters

It’s not about revenge. It’s about aligned incentives.

Currently, Congress has zero personal stake in whether healthcare works for regular people. They’re completely insulated from the consequences of their decisions.

Force them to experience what you experience, and suddenly:

• Healthcare reform becomes urgent, not theoretical
• “We can’t afford it” becomes “we’ll find the money”
• Insurance company lobbying becomes less effective (members are now angry at insurance companies too)
• Pharmaceutical company lobbying becomes less effective (members are now paying $300 for insulin too)

This is how you get change: Make the people in power feel the pain they’re inflicting.

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Solution #2: Single-Payer Medicare For All

What it is:

• Expand Medicare to cover everyone regardless of age
• Funded through progressive taxes (you pay based on income)
• Private insurance becomes supplemental only (like in Australia)
• All medically necessary care covered

How it works in other countries:

Canada

• Single-payer, covers all medically necessary care
• Funded through taxes
• Zero out-of-pocket for doctor visits, hospital stays, necessary procedures
• Prescription coverage varies by province
• Private insurance available for supplemental (dental, vision, prescription)

Results:

• Life expectancy: 82.2 years (US: 76.4)
• Cost per person: $5,738 (US: $12,555)
• Medical bankruptcies: Effectively zero (US: 66.5% of bankruptcies)
• Wait times: 4-6 weeks for non-urgent specialist visits (US: 3-4 weeks average, worse in rural areas)

United Kingdom (NHS)

• National Health Service, free at point of service
• Funded through taxes
• Covers everything: doctor visits, hospital stays, prescriptions (£9.90 per prescription), dental, vision
• Private insurance available for those who want faster elective procedures

Results:

• Life expectancy: 81.0 years (US: 76.4)
• Cost per person: $5,387 (US: $12,555)
• Medical bankruptcies: Effectively zero
• Wait times: Yes, for elective procedures; emergencies are immediate

Taiwan

• National Health Insurance, covers 99.6% of population
• Funded through payroll taxes and premiums (income-based)
• Covers Western and traditional Chinese medicine
• Smart card system, minimal paperwork

Results:

• Life expectancy: 81.3 years (US: 76.4)
• Cost per person: $2,500 (US: $12,555)
• Medical bankruptcies: Effectively zero
• Wait times: Usually same-day appointments

What would happen in the US:

Coverage:

• Everyone gets Medicare (including dental, vision, hearing, prescription)
• Zero premiums, zero deductibles, zero copays (or minimal like $5)
• All doctors accept it (they have to)
• No networks, see any doctor

Costs:

• Funded through progressive income tax (4% on income over $29,000, rising to 7.5% on income over $250,000)
• Employers pay 7.5% payroll tax (less than they currently pay for insurance)
• Overall healthcare spending drops 20-30% (administrative savings + negotiating power)

For a family making $75,000/year:

• Currently pay: ~$11,500 out of pocket + ~$14,700 employer contribution = $26,200 total
• Under Medicare For All: ~$3,000 tax + $0 out of pocket = $3,000 total
• Net savings: $23,200/year

For a family making $150,000/year:

• Currently pay: ~$12,000 out of pocket + ~$15,000 employer contribution = $27,000 total
• Under Medicare For All: ~$9,000 tax + $0 out of pocket = $9,000 total
• Net savings: $18,000/year

Who pays more:

• Incomes over $250,000/year pay slightly more in taxes than they currently pay in premiums
• But no out-of-pocket costs, no network restrictions, no prior authorization, no medical bankruptcy risk

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Solution #3: Public Option

What it is:

• Government offers a Medicare-like plan anyone can buy (like Australia’s Medicare)
• Competes with private insurance
• Employers can drop coverage, workers buy public option
• Funded through premiums + subsidies for low-income

How it works in other countries:

Australia

• Medicare (public insurance) covers all essential care
• Everyone can use Medicare for free or low cost
• Private insurance available for faster elective procedures, private rooms, etc.
• About 45% have private insurance, 55% use Medicare only

Results:

• Life expectancy: 83.3 years (US: 76.4)
• Cost per person: $5,627 (US: $12,555)
• Medical bankruptcies: ~7.25% (vs. US 66.5% – most from lost income, not medical costs)
• Two-tier system: Public is good, private is faster for elective stuff

What would happen in the US:

The public option:

• Medicare-like plan available on all exchanges
• Premiums set to cover costs (lower than private because 2% overhead vs. 17%)
• Subsidies for low-income (like current ACA subsidies)
• All providers must accept it if they accept Medicare

Competition effects:

• Private insurance has to compete on service, not price-gouging
• Private insurers either improve service or lose customers
• Over time, public option grows as people switch
• Eventually becomes de facto Medicare For All through market forces

For workers:

• Employers drop expensive insurance, give you the money as wages instead
• You buy public option with your new higher wages
• Healthcare decoupled from employment
• Can change jobs without losing coverage

For employers:

• Save money (no more $15,000-21,000 per employee for insurance)
• Simplified payroll (no insurance administration)
• Can offer higher wages with same total compensation cost

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Solution #4: Regulated Universal Coverage (Switzerland/Netherlands Model)

What it is:

• Private insurance companies, heavily regulated
• Mandatory coverage for everyone
• Community rating (can’t charge more for pre-existing conditions)
• Income-based subsidies (not employment-based)
• Price controls on procedures and drugs

How it works in other countries:

Switzerland

• Private insurance, mandatory for all residents
• Insurers must offer basic package covering all essential care
• Cannot deny coverage, cannot charge based on pre-existing conditions
• Premiums average ~$400-500/month (income-based subsidies reduce it)
• Can buy supplemental insurance for private rooms, alternative medicine, etc.

Results:

• Life expectancy: 84.0 years (US: 76.4)
• Cost per person: $8,049 (US: $12,555)
• Medical bankruptcies: Effectively zero
• High satisfaction: 95% approve of their healthcare system

Netherlands

• Private insurance, mandatory coverage
• Insurers compete but must accept all applicants
• Basic package covers all essential care (~€1,500/year)
• Income-based subsidies (government pays premiums for low-income)
• Supplemental insurance available

Results:

• Life expectancy: 81.7 years (US: 76.4)
• Cost per person: $6,753 (US: $12,555)
• Medical bankruptcies: Effectively zero
• Wait times: Minimal for urgent care, reasonable for elective

What would happen in the US:

The system:

• All insurers must accept all applicants (no denials for pre-existing conditions – ACA already does this)
• All insurers must offer standard essential benefits package
• Premiums set by risk pool, not individual risk (community rating)
• Government subsidizes premiums based on income (like ACA, but more generous)
• Strict price controls on procedures, drugs, devices
• Administrative costs capped at 5% (currently 17%)

For individuals:

• Must have coverage (ACA already requires this, enforcement was removed)
• Choose from competing private plans
• Subsidies ensure premiums don’t exceed 8-10% of income
• All plans cover same essential care, compete on service quality

For insurers:

• Can compete on service, network, supplemental benefits
• Cannot compete by denying coverage or charging sick people more
• Profit capped at reasonable levels (like utilities)

Result:

• Universal coverage through private market
• Competition on service quality, not price gouging
• Healthcare decoupled from employment
• Costs controlled through regulation

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Solution #5: Incremental US Improvements

If you don’t want to overhaul the system, here are changes that would help immediately:

A. Lower Medicare Eligibility Age

Currently: Can’t get Medicare until 65 (or disability after 2 years)

Proposal: Lower to 60, then 55, then 50, eventually to 0

Effect:

• Reduces employer-based insurance burden (older, more expensive workers shift to Medicare)
• Enables earlier retirement
• Reduces medical bankruptcy for 50-64 age group
• Incremental path to Medicare For All

Cost: Covered by premiums + tax revenue from reduced employer insurance deduction

B. Public Option On All Exchanges

Currently: Only private insurance available on exchanges

Proposal: Government offers Medicare-like plan on every exchange

Effect:

• Competes with private insurance
• Drives down costs through competition
• Provides backup if private insurers exit markets
• Incremental path to Medicare For All

Cost: Premiums cover costs, subsidies for low-income (like current ACA)

C. Expand Medicare Drug Price Negotiation

Currently: Medicare can negotiate prices on 10 drugs starting 2026 (thanks, Inflation Reduction Act)

Proposal: Negotiate ALL drug prices immediately

Effect:

• Drug prices drop 60-80% (to match international prices)
• Medicare saves $500+ billion over 10 years
• Seniors can afford medications
• Pharma companies still make profits (just not obscene ones)

Cost: Savings, not cost

D. Add Dental, Vision, and Hearing to Medicare

Currently: Not covered, seniors go without care

Proposal: Add to Part B coverage

Effect:

• Seniors can see dentists, optometrists, audiologists
• Preventive care reduces long-term costs (untreated dental = heart disease)
• Improved quality of life for 65+ million Medicare recipients

Cost: ~$60 billion/year (pay by expanding drug price negotiation)

E. Add Out-of-Pocket Maximum to Medicare

Currently: Unlimited exposure to 20% coinsurance

Proposal: Cap annual OOP at $3,000-5,000

Effect:

• Eliminates medical bankruptcy risk for seniors
• Provides financial security
• Encourages people to get necessary care (not avoiding it due to cost)

Cost: ~$20 billion/year (pay by expanding drug price negotiation)

F. End Tax Preference for Employer-Based Insurance

Currently: Employer insurance contributions are tax-free

Proposal: Phase out the tax preference, make everyone buy insurance with after-tax dollars (but provide subsidies based on income)

Effect:

• Healthcare decoupled from employment
• Workers get higher wages (employers pay cash instead of insurance)
• Everyone buys insurance as individuals (with subsidies)
• Eliminates job lock

Cost: Revenue neutral (savings from ending tax preference fund subsidies)

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Common Objections (And Why They’re Wrong)

Let’s address every argument against universal healthcare with actual data:

“We Can’t Afford It”

The objection: Universal healthcare is too expensive

The reality:

• We currently spend $12,555 per person
• Other countries spend $5,000-8,000 per person
• We’d SAVE $4,000-7,000 per person by adopting their systems
• Total savings: $1.3-2.3 TRILLION per year

Translation: We can’t afford NOT to do it

Why the confusion: People focus on government spending without counting current private spending

Actual math:

• Current US healthcare spending: $4.5 trillion/year (private + public)
• Medicare For All spending: $3.2 trillion/year (all public)
• Net savings: $1.3 trillion/year

“Government Can’t Run Healthcare Efficiently”

The objection: Government is wasteful and bureaucratic

The reality:

• Medicare administrative costs: 2%
• Private insurance administrative costs: 17%
• VA healthcare (actual government healthcare): Better outcomes than private insurance for most conditions

Data:

• Medicare satisfaction rate: 85%
• Private insurance satisfaction rate: 68%
• Medicare fraud rate: 1.5%
• Private insurance claim denial rate: 20%

Translation: Government healthcare is MORE efficient than private

Why the confusion: People conflate government efficiency in healthcare with DMV experiences

“Long Wait Times”

The objection: Countries with universal healthcare have months-long wait times

The reality:

• US average wait for specialist: 24 days
• Canada average wait for specialist: 27 days
• Netherlands average wait: 11 days
• Germany average wait: 19 days

For emergencies: Zero wait in all countries (including Canada, UK)

For elective procedures:

• Yes, may wait 2-3 months for hip replacement in Canada/UK
• In US: May wait 2-3 months because you can’t afford it
• Difference: In Canada you wait because of capacity. In US you wait because of money.

Translation: We already have wait times, we just ration by wealth instead of need

Data on US wait times:

• 33% of Americans delay care due to cost
• 44% skip recommended tests or treatments due to cost
• That’s not “no wait times,” that’s “never getting care”

“Rationing Healthcare”

The objection: Government will ration care and death panels will decide who lives

The reality:

• US insurance companies ration care RIGHT NOW by denying claims
• Prior authorization = rationing
• Out-of-network coverage limits = rationing
• Annual/lifetime limits (pre-ACA) = rationing
• 45,000 Americans die per year due to lack of insurance = rationing by wealth

Other countries ration by need:

• Emergency = immediate care
• Urgent = fast care
• Elective = may wait, but you’ll get it

Translation: We already ration healthcare, we just let insurance companies and wealth do it instead of medical need

“I Don’t Want to Pay for Other People’s Healthcare”

The objection: Why should I pay for someone else’s medical care?

The reality:

• You already do (that’s how insurance works)
• Your premiums pay for other people in your insurance pool
• Your taxes already pay for Medicare, Medicaid, emergency room care for uninsured
• Emergency rooms can’t turn people away, hospitals raise prices to cover uncompensated care, you pay higher premiums

Universal healthcare is just:

• Larger insurance pool (more efficient)
• Non-profit (no insurance company extraction)
• Everyone in, nobody out

Translation: You’re already paying for everyone’s healthcare, just in the most expensive way possible

“Doctors Will Make Less Money”

The objection: Doctors will flee the profession if Medicare For All passes

The reality:

• Doctors in other countries make good money (not as much as US, but still well-compensated)
• US doctors spend enormous time on insurance paperwork (administrative burden reduced = more time practicing)
• Medical school debt could be reduced/eliminated as part of reform
• Many doctors support Medicare For All (surveys show 50-60% support)

Average doctor salaries:

• US: $350,000 (specialists), $250,000 (primary care)
• Germany: $200,000 (specialists), $150,000 (primary care)
• Canada: $280,000 (specialists), $190,000 (primary care)

Translation: Doctors would make slightly less but have way less administrative hassle and no insurance company denials

“Innovation Will Stop”

The objection: Medical innovation happens in the US because of profit motive

The reality:

• Most drug research is publicly funded (NIH: $40 billion/year)
• Pharmaceutical companies spend more on marketing than R&D
• Medical device innovation happens in Europe too
• Other countries innovate just fine

Examples:

• mRNA vaccine technology: Developed in Germany (BioNTech)
• Insulin: Discovered in Canada
• Keyhole surgery: Developed in UK
• IVF: Developed in UK

Translation: Innovation happens where there’s funding and smart researchers, not where prices are highest

“Socialism!”

The objection: Universal healthcare is socialism

The reality:

• Fire departments are “socialist” by this logic
• Police departments are “socialist”
• Public schools are “socialist”
• Military is “socialist” (government-run, taxpayer-funded)
• Medicare is “socialist”

Actual definition of socialism: Government ownership of means of production

Universal healthcare: Government payment for services provided by private doctors/hospitals (most systems)

Translation: Using “socialism” to describe government services is nonsense, and even if it were, you like socialist programs just fine when they benefit you

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What Would Actually Happen If We Implemented Universal Healthcare

Let’s be concrete about the real-world effects:

Year 1

January 1: Universal Healthcare Takes Effect

• Everyone gets Medicare card (or equivalent)
• All existing insurance cancelled
• Employers stop paying insurance premiums, add to wages instead
• Providers now bill one system (Medicare) instead of 1,000 different insurers

Immediate effects:

• Chaos as system transitions (yes, this would be messy)
• Some providers struggle with new billing
• Some people struggle with new system
• Media runs “universal healthcare disaster!” stories

But also:

• 27 million previously uninsured people get coverage
• Zero medical bankruptcies from this point forward
• Everyone can see any doctor (no networks)
• No more prior authorization (doctor prescribes, Medicare covers)

Year 2-3

System stabilizes:

• Administrative costs drop from 17% to 2% = $500 billion savings
• Drug price negotiations = $200 billion savings
• Preventive care increases (people can afford to see doctors) = long-term savings
• Total healthcare spending drops 20%

For individuals:

• Wages increase (employers add insurance money to wages)
• Taxes increase (but less than wage increase)
• Net effect: More money in pocket
• Zero worry about losing coverage if change jobs

For businesses:

• Small businesses can compete with large corporations (no insurance advantage)
• Entrepreneurship increases 25%
• Administrative burden eliminated (no insurance management)
• Can focus on actual business instead of healthcare negotiations

Year 5-10

Long-term effects:

• Life expectancy increases (more people get preventive care)
• Infant mortality drops (pregnant women get prenatal care)
• Chronic disease management improves (people can afford medications)
• Overall health improves, costs drop further

Economic effects:

• Job mobility increases (no job lock)
• Entrepreneurship boom (can start business without risking healthcare)
• Wages rise (no more substituting insurance for raises)
• Productivity increases (healthier workforce)

The data from other countries shows this is what actually happens, not speculation.

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The Real Reason We Don’t Have Universal Healthcare

It’s not because it doesn’t work (it does, everywhere). It’s not because we can’t afford it (we’d save trillions). It’s not because Americans don’t want it (60-70% support Medicare For All).

It’s because industries that profit from the current system spend $1+ billion per year lobbying to prevent change.

Who Loses If We Fix Healthcare:

Insurance companies:

• $1.2 trillion in annual revenue
• Gone (or reduced to supplemental insurance only)

Pharmaceutical companies:

• Lose ability to charge US prices 10x higher than other countries
• $500+ billion in excess profits gone

Private equity hospital owners:

• Can’t extract 10-15% margins from sick people
• Would have to compete on quality, not price-gouging

These industries employ 5,000+ lobbyists and donate $500+ million annually to both parties.

That’s why we don’t have universal healthcare.

Not because it won’t work. Not because we can’t afford it. Not because Americans don’t want it.

Because it would cost powerful industries trillions in revenue.

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What You Can Actually Do

1. Force Congress to experience what you experience

Support any legislation that:

• Eliminates congressional healthcare exemptions
• Requires Congress to use Medicare/Medicaid only
• Eliminates Office of the Attending Physician (or makes it available to all)
• Ties congressional healthcare to median American healthcare

Primary challenge any representative who votes against it.

2. Support incremental improvements

Even if full universal coverage seems impossible, support:

• Lower Medicare eligibility age
• Public option on exchanges
• Expand drug price negotiation
• Add dental/vision to Medicare
• Add out-of-pocket maximums to Medicare

Every improvement helps millions of people.

3. Stop voting based on healthcare scare tactics

When you hear:

• “Socialized medicine!”
• “Government takeover!”
• “Long wait times!”
• “Death panels!”

Remember: These are the exact same arguments used to oppose Medicare in 1965.

Medicare is now the most popular government program in American history with 85% satisfaction rate.

The scare tactics are designed to protect insurance company profits, not your health.

4. Demand your representatives explain their healthcare

Ask your senator/representative:

• What healthcare do you use?
• How much do you pay for it?
• Would you be willing to use Medicare only?
• Would you be willing to use Medicaid only?
• If not, why is it good enough for your constituents but not for you?

Force them to explain why they deserve better healthcare than you do.

5. Share information

Most people don’t know:

• How much they actually pay for healthcare (visible + hidden costs)
• That employer-based insurance is trapping them
• That other countries have better healthcare for half the cost
• That Congress has different healthcare than them

Every person who understands the system is one more person demanding change.

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The Bottom Line

We know how to fix healthcare. The solutions exist. They work in dozens of countries. They would save money and save lives.

The only question is: Are we willing to demand it?

Or will we keep letting insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and private equity firms extract trillions while we die from rationed care and medical bankruptcy?

The choice is ours. The solutions are proven. The only thing missing is the political will to implement them.

And political will is created by voters who refuse to accept the status quo.

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Next Time

We’ve completed the healthcare arc. Now let’s look at another system rigged against the bottom 90%:

Housing: How Zoning Laws, NIMBYism, and Investment Firms Made Homeownership Impossible

Why the median age of first-time homebuyers is now 40, how housing became an investment vehicle instead of a place to live, and what other countries do to ensure their citizens can afford housing.

Part 7: The Housing Trap

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If this showed you that solutions exist and we’re just choosing not to implement them, good.

The question is: What are you going to do about it?

Share this if you’re tired of being told universal healthcare is impossible while watching every other developed nation do it successfully.

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Sources

• Healthcare costs by country: OECD Health Statistics 2023
• Life expectancy data: OECD, WHO, CDC
• Medicare administrative costs: CMS data, Medicare Trustees Report
• Private insurance administrative costs: Harvard Medical School study, Annals of Internal Medicine
• Wait time comparisons: Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey
• Public opinion polling: Kaiser Family Foundation polling, Pew Research
• Drug price comparisons: RAND Corporation study, International Federation of Health Plans
• Lobbying spending: OpenSecrets.org, Center for Responsive Politics
• International healthcare systems: Commonwealth Fund country profiles, WHO reports
• Medicare For All cost analysis: Congressional Budget Office, Medicare For All Act of 2023, various think tank analyses
• Job lock and entrepreneurship data: NBER, Kauffman Foundation, Journal of Labor Economics