In their new book, We’ve Got You Covered: Rebooting American Health Care, economists Liran Einav (Stanford University) and John Bates Clark Medal winner Amy Finkelstein (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) note, “No one is actually uninsured.” They nevertheless critique the US health sector as “a sprawling yet arbitrary and inadequate mess.” Where many advocate piecemeal reform, Einav and Finkelstein urge policymakers to “tear it all down and rebuild.” They recommend that the government provide “automatic, basic, and free universal coverage for everyone.” Finkelstein will join Michael F. Cannon, Cato’s director of health policy studies, for a conversation about We’ve Got You Covered, the merits of incremental versus comprehensive change, and whether reform should involve greater or less government intervention.

Lunch to follow.