Healthcare in the US is expensive because it doesn't follow a normal market economy. The people using healthcare generally aren't paying for the services out of pocket, so they have no incentive to try to keep costs low. The government has encouraged this through tax deductible insurance. The system has gotten so bad that it is nearly impossible to find out how much a procedure will cost before you have it. Of course, it's all made worse by America's belief that there is a pill for everything and somehow, if you visit doctors enough and have enough procedures done, you won't die.
This is why many companies like health savings plans: they put the consumer back in touch with how much healthcare costs. The consumer has an incentive to understand and reduce costs.
Healthcare in the US is expensive because it doesn't follow a normal market economy. The people using healthcare generally aren't paying for the services out of pocket, so they have no incentive to try to keep costs low.
I'm just curious -- can you point to a country in which healthcare does follow a "normal market economy", and which therefore has a more efficient healthcare system?
This is why many companies like health savings plans: they put the consumer back in touch with how much healthcare costs. The consumer has an incentive to understand and reduce costs.