What an unfortunate result! The Americans, alone in the Western World, decided to boldly embrace an alternative model of health care: free enterprise. There is no government plan, and very little government regulation. In theory, we were told, this would reduce the costs of health care because competition among doctors and hospitals would drive costs down.
It has had the opposite effect. The U.S. has the most expensive health care system in the Western World, and the worst results.
I am genuinely disappointed. Look at the computer industry, and related technologies: the bang for your buck has grown astronomically since the first PCs entered the market in 1981. Today, you get fabulous technology, lavish memory, incredible capabilities, for a fraction of the cost.
Medical care, on the other hand, is absolutely through the roof.
It is also, to be fair, more effective– look at cancer deaths.
Doctors and hospitals, of course, don’t compete. Just imagine if you had to take your broken computer somewhere and nobody would tell you what it was going to cost to repair, and may not even tell you what repairs are going to be done. You will get a bill for $40,000.