Arnold Kling provides this excellent TCS article in which he forcefully reminds us that the standard of living for the vast majority of Americans is far better now than it was 30 years ago. The entire article is a must read, and Mr. Kling concludes as follows:
The reality is that neither the rise in health care expenditures nor the standard of living of working Americans represents a problem. The false portrayal of these issues by the Left is more likely to provoke a crisis than to solve one.