The Hidden Forces Driving Your Healthcare Costs Higher — And What Can Be Done About It

Healthcare in America costs families a significant and growing portion of their income each year. But why?

Behind the soaring premiums and budget-stretching bills are powerful forces most Americans never see. The new e-book from the Hoover Institution, Why Is Healthcare So Expensive?, reveals the economic and regulatory mechanisms that make healthcare less affordable and accessible — and explores market-based solutions for meaningful reform.

Inside this complimentary resource, you'll learn from leading economists:

How specific tax policies incentivize expensive health plans and drive up your costs
Why government-imposed barriers to competition keep you paying premium prices
The hidden taxpayer burden of Medicare and Medicaid cross-subsidization
How regulatory inefficiency wastes billions in healthcare resources annually
Which market-oriented reforms could create a more affordable, sustainable future

This essential guide brings together insights from distinguished Hoover scholars, including John Cochrane, Daniel Kessler, Lanhee J. Chen, and Daniel Heil—alongside foundational principles from Milton Friedman—offering a clear path to understanding how we arrived at today's costly system and the principles needed for effective reform.