Los Angeles Times

Michael Hiltzik: A brilliant economist diagnoses the US health care system — from beyond the grave

When the economist Uwe Reinhardt died unexpectedly in November 2017, his colleagues and followers lamented the silencing of one of the most penetrating, objective and effective voices in the health care debate.

They didn't know the half of it. With the posthumous publication this month of his final work, a book entitled "Priced Out: The Economic and Ethical Costs of American Health Care," Reinhardt's reputation for cutting to the quick of the issues in U.S. health care reform is only enhanced. The book should be required reading for anyone who professes to have an interest in the debate - economists, journalists, legislators, doctors and patients.

Reinhardt, who spent his academic career on the Princeton faculty, may be best known for his seminal article on the reason for America's outlandish spending on health care compared to every other developed country. Published in the journal Health

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times7 min read
An Ambulance, An Empty Lot And A Loophole: One Man's Fight For A Place To Live
After a hard day's work, Cameron Gordon sometimes finds a bit of solace as he lounges on the gurney in his yard, surveying a patchwork of weeds, potted plants, garden beds and a hose that meanders across the dirt. This is where his struggle to naviga
Los Angeles Times4 min readCrime & Violence
Editorial: Indiana’s Private-for-profit Asset Forfeiture Scheme Undermines Justice
Policing and prosecuting for profit contradicts reasonable notions of justice and fairness, yet it’s allowed in most U.S. states. Using a process known as civil asset forfeiture, law enforcement agencies seize private property that they claim was som
Los Angeles Times3 min readAmerican Government
LZ Granderson: The Chaos In Congress Is More Dangerous Than The Protests On Campuses
Last week Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) ignored Donald Trump's endorsement of Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) as House speaker and announced plans to try to force him out. One can only assume she is making that attempt for attention, because it seems

Related Books & Audiobooks