Medicare for All: A Citizen's Guide

My interest in M4A started like a lot of people's: In 2016 with the campaign of Bernie Sanders. As I slowly evolved beyond my progressive/neoliberal upbringing, I learned more about it and about the complete failure of the US Healthcare system.

As I learned more about the proposal, the more I liked it. But when pressed on specifics, I would hand-wave and away that Bernard had it covered in his bill. This book gets deep into the specifics, along with the 100+ year history of healthcare law reform in the US.

The overarching theme is clear: In this country, healthcare is a commodity in a market. M4A seeks to turn it into a public good. That is the only solution to eliminate the complexities, the bureaucratic muck, the highway robbery pricing, the insecurity the false choices. Every other effort is a half-measure that does not solve the underlying problem:
Healthcare should be a public good, not a commodity, and not attached to your employment. It does not operate like a commodity, nor do the “consumers” operate as such. M4A would be cheaper and more efficient than the status quo, resulting in a healthier, more productive society.

Basically every single argument for and against M4A is discussed here with citations to studies that back up their claims. This will be my go-to book for all future discussions on the matter, and if you have any fleeting interest in the policy at all, you should read this book.

My only issue is that this book was published at the beginning of the year and didn't include updated plague deaths or results of the presidential election (or even the Democratic Primary). It's in need of an updated edition, though given how things are going with the plague, it'll probably be quite out of date the instant it's published.

Highly highly highly recommended.