We Can’t Have a World Free of Opportunity Costs
The political and philosophical debate surrounding healthcare & other universal programs should begin by acknowledging there will be trade-offs
Persuading ourselves that our preferred alternative has no downside is the greatest delusion of all. Coming in a close second is the conviction that the costs of our favored choice will be far lower than they are.
These are common mistakes in political and policy debates. Progressives do their cause no favors when they indulge in them.
Medicare for All (or for all who want it) is a case in point. For its supporters in the US, the argument in favor has seemingly been reduced to some version of ‘single-payer can be all things to all people.’ However, this is not a view that reflects the inherent nuances of healthcare policy, single-payer or otherwise — and I say this as a supporter of the single-payer model.
Opportunity costs are defined as the sacrifices we make upon selecting a course of action. There are no choices in life that come without these costs, even if they are often small. For example, as children, we may have sacrificed the option of watching a favorite television show in favor of playing outside with friends or lost the privilege of eating…
