Studies show that the aging of the population is responsible for only a small fraction of our rising health care costs. Moreover, European nations and Japan have much higher percentages of elderly citizens than the U.S. does, yet their health systems remain stable with much lower health spending. The lesson is that national health insurance is a critical component of long-term cost control. In addition to freeing up resources by eliminating private insurance waste, single payer encourages prevention through universal access and supporting less costly home-based long-term care rather than institutionalization.