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The simple answer is not to construct a market, but just have the government set a reasonable price. Another option would require localities to use a bidding s

The simple answer is not to construct a market, but just have the government set a reasonable price. Another option would require localities to use a bidding system for ambulance providers rather than doing it themselves or contracting a gold plated service. Maybe mandate the ambulance charge the same rate to insurers as they do non-insured people. A huge part of the "list price" for these services are just an attempt to set the negociation with insurers high. Also, comparing Uber to an ambulance is silly. They aren't comparible services. Ambulences aren't a hospital taxi. They provide some level of first aid and stabilization. If you don't think you are going to get or potentially die, you should be taking an uber/taxi/friend ride to the ER.

rectang 9y ago
> The simple answer is not to construct a market, but just have the government set a reasonable price. My point is that all markets are artificially constructed. Having the government set prices is simply constructing a market using a different set of rules. Your proposal sounds like applying the "all-payer" system to ambulance service. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-payer_rate_setting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-payer_rate_setting There probably isn't a more appropriate use case for all-payer than ambulance service! > Also, comparing Uber to an ambulance is silly. They aren't comparible services. Au contraire -- it's a brilliant, revealing comparison. It illustrates exactly what is missing from ambulance service today: price transparency.