This to me is the biggest issue with health insurance in the US right now---it's effectively trying to cover two issues at once: 1) non-payment to health care p

This to me is the biggest issue with health insurance in the US right now---it's effectively trying to cover two issues at once: 1) non-payment to health care providers 2) unexpected ailments to health care consumers. We have insurance companies as the middlemen, trying to make money from both ends. It's like having the same lawyer as prosecutor and defense attorney; no matter how much you trust any individual to do a good job, you're asking for trouble in the long run. I feel like the best solution would be to change the arrangement from consumer<-->insurance<-->provider to insurance<-->consumer<-->provider<-->insurance. Have providers charge consumers directly (so prices are more transparent), consumers buy actual "health insurance", and providers buy non-payment insurance. If the government needs to subsidize non-payment insurance rates for certain providers, it can do so without as much risk for inflating prices and screwing over people who can pay the bills.