I just find it funny that for decades insurance companies have screwed people over and everyone blamed them for bullshit. Now that Obama has tried to rein them in a bit, everyone acts like it is the end of the world. You do not need the ACA! Just go through an insurance company of your choosing outside of the ACA and see what that is like. If you think the ACA is just so terrible, I have a couple of things for you to look up. Preexisting condition and lifetime maximum (ACA got rid of both). So, in the end, everyone needs insurance to try and help offset the cost of healthcare for everyone. We all get sick and hurt and we all use the healthcare system. Oh yeah, for the people who want to bring up other countries healthcare systems as better, I would rather not wait 6 months for basic medical care. This is why the rest of the world comes here to learn medicine and to get the best specialists in the world.
/shrug
To me, it seems like access to unlimited funds, via TAXES, is largely responsible for the high cost of insurance.
If your customers have a limited budget, then prices for goods and services will have to fluctuate to meet the ability of your customers to pay for said services. However, if you can charge somebody else for those goods and services, then you don't have to worry about your prices AS MUCH, simply due to the fact that somebody else will pay the cost.
If I only have $20 to pay for a routine check up, than the cost of a routine check up will have to be about $20 IF the dude wants to stay in business. If I only have $20, but the "government" will kick in another $20 in taxes (other peoples money), than the price of that check up goes up because of access to tax dollars.
What happens when the medical industry starts charging MORE for their services and the "poor" can no longer be covered by the tax dollars allotted for them? Will prices come down? FUCK NO! What'll happen is that the assholes in congress will simply vote MORE of YOUR MONEY away and into the pockets of said medical industry shit bags.
"Socialized medicine" is just another government racket designed to play on the ignorant heart strings of morons while enriching politicians and their medical industry cronies.
I'd rather see tax dollars get spent on creating more doctors, who in exchange for their education, volunteer to serve in low income areas on salary for a time before they practice on their own. Increase the supply of medical assets available, then the competition should decline, along with the price.