[bunderbunder]

I think what the grandparent was actually referring to was the system in the USA where people get group insurance through their employer.

Setting aside the question of market vs. socialized health care, it doesn't take much observation to realize that this is a very bad system. It both sweeps costs under the carpet and removes consumer choice from the equation, thereby severely reducing the extent to which health insurance companies must compete on both cost and quality of service.

Think your company's group plan is too expensive? Well, you're free to drop out of it if you want. Of course, the money they were spending on your health insurance won't get added to your salary when you do, so ultimately whatever you find will end up being even more expensive.

Pissed off because your health insurance company screwed you over? Well, you've got pretty much the same "my way or the highway" option.

What a lot of folks fail to realize is, just because we don't have a socialized system doesn't mean we have a market system. What we actually have is a bastard system that offers the benefits of neither, plus some downsides that are uniquely its own.