This article discusses the disadvantages of Mandated Health Insurance Benefit (MHIB) laws in the U.S. In a study published by the National Center for Policy Analysis, health economists John Goodman and Gerald Musgrave show that state regulators, responding to pressure from special-interest groups ranging from AIDS patients to bald-headed women, have imposed a myriad of MHIB laws. This kind of legislation, according to Goodman and Musgrave, forces all private health insurers to cover specific diseases and disabilities and specific health-care services. Consumer advocates argue that such laws are necessary so that the poor and people who are at high risk for certain illnesses and disabilities are guaranteed affordable health insurance. Ironically, these efforts have made basic health insurance for a rapidly growing number of U.S. citizens prohibitively expensive. MHIB laws force private insurers to insure ever-increasing numbers of high-risk people at below-market prices. To cover their increased costs, they must drastically overcharge low-risk consumers. As the number of low-risk people in the pool dwindles, insurance premiums for the average U.S. citizen rise even higher. The cycle makes it even impossible for the natural subsidization process to keep overall premiums low. As the number and kind of MHIB laws grow, insurers will view a larger and larger proportion of the population as potential risks. Indeed, the country is rapidly moving toward the day when no one will be able to purchase private medical insurance.