I don't disagree the costs of heathcare are super inflated. My contention (and this is purely anecdotal, I don't have hard facts) is that healthcare workers in the US get compensated extremely well. I would like a comparison of doctor/surgeon compensation in different countries... I believe US healthcare professionals get compensated very well in comparison to those in other countries.
These numbers [1] are old but are probably still in the ballpark. US healthcare workers are compensated well, but not all that much more than comparable developed countries. And quality of healthcare in the US is top ten at best [2].
No, the prices are only explainable by profound inefficiency and corporate rent-seeking. The US is paying hugely inflated prices for (at best) similar outcomes to its peers - now that's market failure!
Needless to say I expect the US will adopt a single payer healthcare system within the next 10-20 years, like every single one of its peers, simply because the current system is unsustainable.
