Who Pays for Medicare for All?

Health Care Plus: Democrats reckon with the rise of the DSA, Trump scales back America's military presence abroad, and the case for letting kids play outside | 8.17.2026 5:57 PM This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Matt Welch are joined by reporter Reem Ibrahim to discuss whether America can afford Medicare for All and the broader Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) agenda. They examine the enormous cost of expanding government-run health care, why taxing billionaires wouldn't come close to covering the bill, and what the experiences of the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and other countries reveal about the tradeoffs of universal health care. They also consider whether either major political party is prepared to confront America's growing deficits and looming fiscal crisis. The editors then turn to the DSA's growing influence within the Democratic Party and the pushback from Democrats wary of socialism. They discuss President Donald Trump's efforts to reduce America's military presence abroad, including his decision to pull back from exercises with South Korea, and whether his approach represents a genuine foreign policy retrenchment or simply more erratic decision making. The panel also makes the case for giving children more independence and questions laws that punish parents for letting their kids play outside unsupervised. Finally, a listener asks when, during each panelist's lifetime, the government has been most effective and worked best for the American people. 0:00—Medicare for All and American health care 19:12—The DSA's influence in the Democratic Party 28:58—Trump cancels joint military exercises in South Korea 36:21—Listener question on government effectiveness 46:34—The case for free-range parenting 54:39—Weekly cultural recommendations Upcoming Reason Events The Reason Roundtable's 10th Anniversary—Live in NYC! October 7 Mentioned in the podcast: "The DSA's Agenda Could Cost More Than $200 Trillion—and You'll Be Picking Up the Tab," by Reem Ibrahim "Socialists Claim Public Libraries Are Examples of Their Policies. Don't Believe Them," by J.D. Tuccille "Hong's Swan Song," by Liz Wolfe "It Can Happen Here," by Arnold Kling, David R. Henderson, and Maurice McTigue "Trump's Assault on Judicial Review Undermines a Crucial Safeguard Against Tyranny," by Jacob Sullum "The War on Free-Range Kids Makes The New York Times," by Lenore Skenazy "In Widow's Bay, the Real Monster Is Utilitarianism," by Christian Britschgi NEXT: Woke 1.0, House of the Dragon, and the Absurd Politics of Surveillance Health CareMedicare for AllSocialismCatoDebt serviceDemocratic PartySouth KoreaIranFree-Range Kids