What I think your actually complaining about is High Deductible Health Plans and HSAs which came into law in 2003. It's just taken time for them proliferate. T

What I think your actually complaining about is High Deductible Health Plans and HSAs which came into law in 2003. It's just taken time for them proliferate. The reason they are becoming popular is that they are intended to incentivize the consumer to pick and choose their providers since they have to bear the brunt of the initial cost. (And cheaper for employers to fund over non high deductible plans). I recommend reading up on the history here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_savings_account https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_savings_account