June 21, 2006 12:48PM 

# Common Misconflations 

By [Michael F. Cannon](https://www.cato.org/people/michael-f-cannon) 

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A recent Ezra Klein [post](http://ezraklein.typepad.com/blog/2006/06/realitybased_me.html) is a much more interesting read when decoded using this key:

> U.S. health care sector ≠ [free market](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1930865813/104-8670474-0655123?v=glance&n=283155)
> 
> 
> For-profit ≠ free-market
> 
> 
> Non-profit ≠ public provision
> 
> 
> Non-profit ≠ tax-exempt
> 
> 
> [Chuck Grassley](https://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=6380) ≠ [free-marketeer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Smith)
> 
> 
> Public provision ≠ [better](http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/354/11/1147?excludeflag=TWEEK_element&sortspec=Score%2Bdesc%2BPUBDATE_SORTDATE%2Bdesc&hits=20&where=fulltext&andorexactfulltext=and&FIRSTINDEX=0&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT&resourcetype=HWCIT&searchid=1&searchid=1&searchterm=asch+mcglynn&searchid=1%2C1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT,HWCIT) [medical](http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/hlthaff.w4.184v1) [care](https://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=4049)
> 
> 
> VA ≠ [superior](https://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=5847) [care](http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/mpr_02.htm)

(Okay, so the Chuck Grassley one is not so common.)

##### Related Tags 

[General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Health Care](https://www.cato.org/health-care), [Regulation](https://www.cato.org/regulatory-studies), [Tax and Budget Policy](https://www.cato.org/tax-budget-policy) 

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