The US has a particularly horrible hyper regulated, government shielded, cartel-based healthcare system and has for decades - the time during which its healthcare costs have skyrocketed out of control.
The US could hardly be further away from Capitalism in how its healthcare system is structured.
Countries with more regulation and more control by the state have... prices that are a fraction of the US. Surprise. Just like countries with stricter environmental restrictions have fewer clear-cut forests, less polluted water, etc. Unbridled capitalism means more money at the top at the cost of everyone else. There's a balance to be found between making money and having some restraints.
Most of these regulations don't exist in countries because there are top down price negotiations and/or universal healthcare.
The US regulation is the worst of both worlds.
Funny enough, the quality and ease of access (delays for procedures etc) also "are a fraction of the US"
Per Wikipedia:
> Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, private property, property rights recognition, voluntary exchange, and wage labor.
All of these things are true of the US healthcare market.
Why the government hasn’t stepped in, is pure corruption.
That's just what capitalism is. There is no ideal world where people max out their earnings and say "haha i'll be a friendly competitor and work for the benefit of the people :))))". People with vested interests will always push for less regulation, and the consequence of a successful push is never "everyone is better off and paying less!" Other developed countries have more regulation and lower prices. That's simply a fact.
