Michael F. Cannon 🇮🇪 🇺🇸
@mfcannon.bsky.social
“An influential health care wonk at the libertarian Cato Institute“ – Washington Post. “A pleasant discovery” – Capitalism magazine. Washingtonian’s “Most Influential People” in DC 2021-present.
In case you wondered whether the @MerriamWebster folks watch the news.
December 10, 2025 at 7:20 PM
In case you wondered whether the @MerriamWebster folks watch the news.
The legislative job and the political imperative for the GOP is to serve the consumers who want an end to rising prices, especially in health care.
www.wsj.com/opinion/...
www.wsj.com/opinion/...
December 10, 2025 at 2:00 PM
The legislative job and the political imperative for the GOP is to serve the consumers who want an end to rising prices, especially in health care.
www.wsj.com/opinion/...
www.wsj.com/opinion/...
Trying to improve health care quality by having government set non-price terms of exchange (bundling services, tying payment to quality) has likewise failed.
Etc., etc..
www.cato.org/sites/c...
Etc., etc..
www.cato.org/sites/c...
December 7, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Trying to improve health care quality by having government set non-price terms of exchange (bundling services, tying payment to quality) has likewise failed.
Etc., etc..
www.cato.org/sites/c...
Etc., etc..
www.cato.org/sites/c...
Government intervention, including government price-setting, has led to higher health care prices than we would see in a competitive market.
Competitive bidding for in-kind government subsidies has increased, not reduced, spending on those subsidies.
www.nationalaffairs....
Competitive bidding for in-kind government subsidies has increased, not reduced, spending on those subsidies.
www.nationalaffairs....
December 7, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Government intervention, including government price-setting, has led to higher health care prices than we would see in a competitive market.
Competitive bidding for in-kind government subsidies has increased, not reduced, spending on those subsidies.
www.nationalaffairs....
Competitive bidding for in-kind government subsidies has increased, not reduced, spending on those subsidies.
www.nationalaffairs....
When someone murdered health insurance executive Brian Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk one year ago this week, I chose not to engage the grotesque dialogue that took hold but instead to write an open letter to his teenage sons.
mfcannon.substack.co...
mfcannon.substack.co...
December 6, 2025 at 9:30 PM
When someone murdered health insurance executive Brian Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk one year ago this week, I chose not to engage the grotesque dialogue that took hold but instead to write an open letter to his teenage sons.
mfcannon.substack.co...
mfcannon.substack.co...
December 3, 2025 at 9:41 PM
When technology puts even saints out of a job.
November 24, 2025 at 2:56 AM
When technology puts even saints out of a job.
In this photo is a socialist from NY.
November 22, 2025 at 1:57 PM
In this photo is a socialist from NY.
Maybe it’s the beginning of the beginning.
November 18, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Maybe it’s the beginning of the beginning.
In an accompanying Substack post, I explain that we already have a full-scale test of the effect of Trump's rule on Obamacare.
The only evidence of an adverse-selection death spiral appeared when the Trump rule was *not* in effect.
open.substack.com/pu...
The only evidence of an adverse-selection death spiral appeared when the Trump rule was *not* in effect.
open.substack.com/pu...
November 17, 2025 at 2:00 PM
In an accompanying Substack post, I explain that we already have a full-scale test of the effect of Trump's rule on Obamacare.
The only evidence of an adverse-selection death spiral appeared when the Trump rule was *not* in effect.
open.substack.com/pu...
The only evidence of an adverse-selection death spiral appeared when the Trump rule was *not* in effect.
open.substack.com/pu...
November 14, 2025 at 9:09 PM
"Many economists say it will be impossible to bring health care spending under control unless everyone is covered."
- Cosmo Castorini
- Cosmo Castorini
November 11, 2025 at 2:08 PM
"Many economists say it will be impossible to bring health care spending under control unless everyone is covered."
- Cosmo Castorini
- Cosmo Castorini
November 4, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Obamacare is posting what Obama called “jaw-dropping” premium increases.
The first $700B didn’t fix the problem. The next $1.3T won’t. Supporters' only idea is to spend $500B more.
If Congress cannot now admit Obamacare has failed, what would it take?
mfcannon.substack.co...
The first $700B didn’t fix the problem. The next $1.3T won’t. Supporters' only idea is to spend $500B more.
If Congress cannot now admit Obamacare has failed, what would it take?
mfcannon.substack.co...
October 29, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Obamacare is posting what Obama called “jaw-dropping” premium increases.
The first $700B didn’t fix the problem. The next $1.3T won’t. Supporters' only idea is to spend $500B more.
If Congress cannot now admit Obamacare has failed, what would it take?
mfcannon.substack.co...
The first $700B didn’t fix the problem. The next $1.3T won’t. Supporters' only idea is to spend $500B more.
If Congress cannot now admit Obamacare has failed, what would it take?
mfcannon.substack.co...
October 23, 2025 at 7:33 PM
In the @CambUP_PHILNYUK journal Social Philosophy & Policy, I offer a way to evaluate whether government public health interventions are morally permissible: whether they reduce the net amount of violence in society.
www.cambridge.org/co...
www.cambridge.org/co...
October 19, 2025 at 6:13 PM
In the @CambUP_PHILNYUK journal Social Philosophy & Policy, I offer a way to evaluate whether government public health interventions are morally permissible: whether they reduce the net amount of violence in society.
www.cambridge.org/co...
www.cambridge.org/co...
In @politico, @amandalanchu reports a recent article of mine argued that ”closing businesses and schools early in the pandemic, when no vaccines were available, aligned with libertarian principles.”
My article does not argue it was okay to close them all until we had vaccines.🧵
My article does not argue it was okay to close them all until we had vaccines.🧵
October 19, 2025 at 6:13 PM
In @politico, @amandalanchu reports a recent article of mine argued that ”closing businesses and schools early in the pandemic, when no vaccines were available, aligned with libertarian principles.”
My article does not argue it was okay to close them all until we had vaccines.🧵
My article does not argue it was okay to close them all until we had vaccines.🧵
It appears that The Party of Limited Government™ is now using the unilateral executive power to impose tariffs, to threaten governments in other countries, demanding that they increase spending on socialized medicine, to the benefit of the pharmaceutical lobby.
October 16, 2025 at 3:11 PM
It appears that The Party of Limited Government™ is now using the unilateral executive power to impose tariffs, to threaten governments in other countries, demanding that they increase spending on socialized medicine, to the benefit of the pharmaceutical lobby.
www.cato.org/comment... @VasquezIan
October 13, 2025 at 11:22 AM
www.cato.org/comment... @VasquezIan
Senate intern on my book: "it was a killer price for Prime Day."
October 12, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Senate intern on my book: "it was a killer price for Prime Day."
Not for nothing, @Mark_J_Perry, but I think I might be able to explain your "hospitals" line:
www.nationalaffairs.... @NationalAffairs @AEI
www.nationalaffairs.... @NationalAffairs @AEI
October 12, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Not for nothing, @Mark_J_Perry, but I think I might be able to explain your "hospitals" line:
www.nationalaffairs.... @NationalAffairs @AEI
www.nationalaffairs.... @NationalAffairs @AEI
I’ve got a piece up this morning @NRO explaining the only defensible deal Republicans could strike on extending Obamacare subsidies for the wealthy is one that frees people to choose better, more affordable health insurance.
October 12, 2025 at 2:27 PM
I’ve got a piece up this morning @NRO explaining the only defensible deal Republicans could strike on extending Obamacare subsidies for the wealthy is one that frees people to choose better, more affordable health insurance.
If health insurance market failures would leave us just 4 percent (!!!) shy of optimality, maybe we can let people purchase long-term health insurance in an open market, exempt from Obamacare’s regulations?
mfcannon.substack.co...
mfcannon.substack.co...
October 8, 2025 at 6:58 PM
If health insurance market failures would leave us just 4 percent (!!!) shy of optimality, maybe we can let people purchase long-term health insurance in an open market, exempt from Obamacare’s regulations?
mfcannon.substack.co...
mfcannon.substack.co...
Stable is one word for it.
October 8, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Stable is one word for it.