[seehafer]

> It seems to me the big chunk of the problem is that my local hospital doesn't really have to compete with anyone and has rather free reign in setting prices.

Yes, there is definitely lack of competition at the provider level which has gotten worse post-ACA. But in this context I'm talking about lack of competition among technology manufacturers. Really easy to set high prices for things when competitors can't enter your market without going through several hoops. That's how you get guys like Martin Shkreli.