Mark Cuban's Blueprint for Affordable Healthcare - The Bulwark

[EdmondDantes_]

5. That depends on how much competition there is

The price of computers has dropped dramatically since the 1980s for more speed, storage, portability, etc. The problem with healthcare is there's too little competition or price sensitivity from users (and I'm definitely guilty of that one myself). I just looked up a colonoscopy and the price transparency tool shows a range of several hundred dollars difference for different local providers. Yet when I last needed one, I went through my PCP instead of searching for a cheaper one. But when I want a new tv I wait for it to go on sale. Yes obviously one never needs a tv right away, but I scheduled my colonoscopy several months out because it wasn't an emergency.

Pharmaceuticals are under patent protection, people don't shop around to get a cheaper scan or blood draw because it's convenient to get it done within your provider's office. And I don't blame people for not doing more price conscious work because most people aren't aware enough to know to do so or have the capacity for dealing with the inconvenience if the results aren't sent over or get lost.

Just being a government function doesn't make something cheaper. For example we specifically didn't allow Medicare to negotiate any drug prices which means we've paid way more for drugs than the government should have been.