It was a rare moment in the health care debate. A Trump supporter, Drea Holbert of Kentucky, was explaining her opposition to Republican health care bills to an NPR reporter when she said this: “Hopefully, they can take a look at what Canada is doing, and even Cuba.”
Inside the beltway, though, Canadian-style health care is off the table. Single-payer health care is dismissed even though Canadians and citizens of other countries with universal health care are getting higher-quality care at lower costs. One reason it’s off the table is the clout of the health care industry, which spent more than $272 million on the 2016 election cycle, according to Open Secrets, and another $515 million on lobbying.
