"Hospitals are required to take care of you, even if you have no insurance in the US." Trouble is, that only applies to emergencies. If you just want to see th

"Hospitals are required to take care of you, even if you have no insurance in the US." Trouble is, that only applies to emergencies. If you just want to see the doctor about the funny lump you have to pay first. "We need to get rid of the bloated government-supported insurance companies and let the free market decide the price of everything." So when I break a leg I should pay the ambulance to drive around different hospitals collecting quotes for the treatment? This doesn't work for a number of reasons: 1: Most obviously, urgent treatment is urgent. Collecting quotes will take time. 2: Hospitals won't give a quotation for medical treatment. They prefer a cost+ situation, partly because they then make money no matter the outcome, and partly because the costs are so variable that you can't estimate the cost. Just how much is that funny lump going to cost? After a few $K of tests you might be able to put a lower bound on it, but not an upper bound. 3: Medical costs for something serious are bankruptingly large for most people. One serious illness and you have to remortgage your house. Insurance is the only option, but then people at serious risk of illness or injury are more likely to take out insurance, and people who are already ill can't get it or change it. Imagine if you have epilepsy: every few months you wake up in ER and they hand you a $5,000 bill. No insurer will touch you.