September 19, 2008 7:32AM # A Clarification By [Michael F. Cannon](https://www.cato.org/people/michael-f-cannon) --- SHARE In a previous [post](https://www.cato.org/2008/09/17/results-of-iq2-debate-on-universal-coverage/), I wrote the following about friend and debate partner [Sally Pipes](http://liberty.pacificresearch.org/keypeople/sally-c-pipes): > And I’m now prepared to induct John Stossel into the [Anti-Universal Coverage Club](https://www.cato.org/?s=anti-universal+coverage+club). Sally Pipes I’m still not sure about; you can judge for yourself when the IQ2 folks post the transcript of the debate [here](http://intelligencesquaredus.org/Event.aspx?Event=30). My intention was not to disparage Pipes. The [Anti-Universal Coverage Club](https://www.cato.org/?s=anti-universal+coverage+club) exists to challenge the idea that government should pursue a policy of universal health insurance coverage. Some free-marketers believe that’s a fine goal, so long as government goes about it using market mechanisms. At our recent [Intelligence Squared](http://intelligencesquaredus.org/Event.aspx?Event=30) [debate](http://intelligencesquaredus.org/TranscriptContainer/HealthCoverage091608_v2.pdf), Pipes remarked: > By supporting universal choice in health care, and empowering consumers, we will achieve universal coverage. Pipes is one of the leading opponents of government-run health care. When I heard that remark, though, I thought perhaps Pipes might fall into that aforementioned group of free-marketers. So I didn’t want to induct her into the [Anti-Universal Coverage Club](https://www.cato.org/?s=anti-universal+coverage+club) if that’s not her thing. Colleagues of Pipes objected to my blog post. In an email to me, Pipes writes: > I support allowing the market to work resulting in more choice for consumers. The government should not be involved. I did not mean to suggest anything to the contrary, but I can see why they would think I had. I apologize to Pipes and her colleagues. ##### Related Tags [Health Care](https://www.cato.org/health-care) [![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).