Except there cannot always be a free market for healthcare. That only would works for preventative care assuming that there is enough supply that you can make a

Except there cannot always be a free market for healthcare. That only would works for preventative care assuming that there is enough supply that you can make a decision because there might be shortages of a specialty you need and cannot get an appointment for 6+ months. If you're significantly injured in a car accident (to use an example that does not weigh on past medical history), you do not have time, nor likely the wherewithal, to be looking up which EDs are going to be cheapest and then comparing it to their most common outcomes to similar injuries to make the informed decision to which hospital the EMTs will haul you. Rather, you will be taken to the closest available ED with availability.