[polygamous_bat]

> In Europe, this is often handled by government purchasing discretion (not price caps as many simplistically believe). If X treatment is too expensive, it simply isnt covered. If generics medication get 99% of the job done, that is what you get.

The amount of times I’ve proposed this only to be responded with “government death panels” is astounding.

> If a CT cost is 10x at one hospital, and 1x at the other, the patient needs an incentive to seek out the 1X cost.

Healthcare is weird because the demand is inelastic and you aren’t always in a place to price shop. However, I agree with your broader point.

[s1artibartfast]

I think that that demand is more elastic than most give it credit for being. There are often many ways to treat an issue, with different costs and efficacy, and the demand for which and how many depends on who's footing the bill.

Similarly, I think most people vastly overestimate how much of Healthcare expenses involves an ambulance ride or emergency room

[HDThoreaun]

The trump administration did an executive order that forces hospitals to list all their prices. Imo easily his best move. Now, the current implementation does not work for a myriad of reasons that are mostly "hospitals have good lawyers and don't want to reveal prices" but the law can be fixed. A working implementation would make price shopping easy as someone would build a centralized site and you could have your health care provider put in the treatment needed along with your location and distance willing to travel.