The US system is a combination of heavily regulated private industry and government-run healthcare. The US is ridiculously more expensive than other countries

The US system is a combination of heavily regulated private industry and government-run healthcare. The US is ridiculously more expensive than other countries precisely because of regulations and government-run bureaucracy (and defensive medicine, and poorly run bidding for drugs and equipment, and fraud). Government-run healthcare actually puts all the bargaining power in themselves, but they don't try to cut costs because that's not an incentive in government. Actually with government, the more you spend in one year, the more you get budgeted the next year. The worst way to run a government agency, in the eyes of bureaucrats is to run leaner than budget because your budget will be cut the next year. Doctors have very close to no bargaining power.