CNN health care correspondent Sanjay Gupta, who was briefly considered for surgeon general in the Obama administration, reports that the administration is looking to Massachusetts as a model for its forthcoming health care reform proposal. That model would involve an individual mandate, an employer mandate, a “connector” with increased insurance regulation, and massive subsidies for the middle class.

Given that the Massachusetts plan is expected to run $2-4 billion over budget over the next 10 years, has failed to come close to universal coverage, has done nothing to reduce health care costs (indeed, may have driven up insurance costs), and has actually led to increased wait time for primary care physicians, that may not be the best model out there. In fact, perhaps the Obama administration might like to look at studies by David Hyman and me detailing the Massachusetts model’s many problems.

Looking to a Failed Model for Health Care Reform is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

• Writing on National Review’s blog, John Hood cites Michael New’s recent op-ed, “The Right Way to Bail out California” and William Poole’s new article on the Fed’s massive expansionary policies.

• While running an online poll on Sanjay Gupta’s appointment, Ann Althouse quotes Michael D. Tanner on his views about the office of surgeon general.

• Jason Shafrin cites a December Cato forum in which panelists Glen Whitman and Ezra Klein debated the state of the nation’s health care. A podcast from the forum, “Does America’s Health Care Sector Produce More Health?” is available here.

• Insider Online contributor Alex Adrianson blogs about the most recent edition of Cato Journal, with an article by J.R. Clark and Dwight R. Lee that examines the relationship between government interference in the market and censorship.

• Brad Warbiany, a writer for The Liberty Papers, cites Tad DeHaven’s recent post arguing against increased government spending.

Who’s Blogging about Cato is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog