The most intelligent and civil critique of my New York Times op-ed on health care came, not surprisingly, from Ezra Klein–even if he does praise me with what, for him, counts as a faint damn (“Ramesh Ponnuru knows a lot more about health care policy than your garden variety conservative”). Michael Cannon has nobly risen to my defense, and of course I agree with his remarks. One additional point that I would make is that I think Klein inadvertently mischaracterizes my objection to universal coverage. It’s not that it goes too far. It’s that it goes (in my view) in the wrong direction. I want far-reaching changes in our system of health-care financing, too, and I think the proposals I briefly outlined in that op-ed would bring them. A reform that aims at universal coverage is not the only alternative to the status quo.