Providers, not insurers, are responsible for excess U.S. health care cost (2024)

An analysis of U.S. healthcare costs argues that private insurers are not the primary drivers of high prices due to their low profit margins. The author suggests that provider costs and operational inefficiencies are more significant factors than insurer profits.
Why it matters
This perspective challenges common political narratives regarding the role of insurance companies in the American healthcare system.
Noah Smith Jun 10, 2026 235 96 22 Share In a post last week , I wrote about the progressive anti-monopoly movement’s increasing disconnect from reality. I wrote:
The author critiques progressive anti-monopoly arguments and defends the role of private insurers based on profit margin data.
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