Slate on Medicare Part D – “It’s too damn complicated.” Furthermore:

The failure of Bush’s reform effort illustrates an important point about psychology and economics””what writer Barry Schwartz* calls the “paradox of choice.” Given too many options, rational actors are more likely to be paralyzed than to pick wisely. To take another example, consumers now have the right to choose from a long list of electricity suppliers via their local utilities. If you are a frustrated energy trader, this is a fabulous new benefit. If you just want the electricity to stay on in your house, you’re likely to ignore the menu and accept the default setting. The potential savings from choosing a new supplier””which come with a risk of increased costs as well””don’t justify the investment of time, even for the small minority of people capable of figuring out the new system.