Our policy seems driven less by cost considerations than by indifference, even cruelty.

Nicholas Kristof and the exact answer to his question had a falling out and have refused to acknowledge each other since, even when sitting in the same room. The answer says it has attempted reconciliation multiple times but to no avail.

But that's the point they're making, no? I just read the article. They're implying the cost argument is silly because the US can afford it, and will also make money on part of it. Then they close the paragraph by stressing that the US healthcare system isn't based on a cost-benefit analysis as some think.

They answered their own question in the last sentence lmao

Also on the front page of the NYT very close to that article is this - archive.today • Opinion | They Live in Constant Pain, but Their Doctors Won’t Help Them - The New York Times.

Very funny to see these types of articles vanish from the NY Times any time a politician (hello ) has universal healthcare on their platform. When it's Joe Brandon or Cheeto Man running for office it's safe to write about these again since they know nothing will be done about it

This very much seems like a misreading/unclear writing. The writer seems to agree with you. The implied wording I read: "But it's hard to understand [the argument that opponents to universal care make, because their assertion is implausible:] how just every.."

Unless I'm misreading and you're arguing that the US can't afford universal care?

Don't worry. AI will fix it.

This is not a marxist analysis, but the health care industry just seems like a rentier sector. I'm guessing it's a big reason why everything is expensive, because the health care cost of the workers has to be priced into everything.