For years Republicans believed free markets – not monopolies, not government – cured problems. It seems those days are past.

UNC Healthcare – which owns hospitals and medical clinics across North Carolina – is controlled, owned, and subsidized by state government. And the State Senate just passed a bill to exempt it from anti-trust laws. So Republicans just voted in favor of both a monopoly and more government at the same time. The only folks shaking their heads are bureaucrats at the Federal Trade Commission in Washington who warned the State House that making UNC Healthcare a monopoly means less competition, higher healthcare costs, lower quality care. They sounded like Republicans used to sound.

Will a government monopoly cure healthcare problems – or make them worse?

We may be one State House vote away from finding out.