Economies of scale should make them cheaper. An MRI machine and technician that sits there unused half the day has to charge more per visit than one used all day long. Have too many customers? Get more machines and techs, now the MRI manufacturer is making more units, offering volume discounts...
Rationing of care doesn't explain why the individual units of care are themselves much more expensive. Compare inhaler prices in Canada vs the US, $10 in Canada $100 here[0], that isn't because too many of them are given out. It's theft.
Addendum: Further, the young and healthy ration their care quite a bit under the current system, they are taxed too heavily (to pay for the care of the elderly) to afford it for themselves so they go without.
[0]https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/...
you need someone willing shop and pick the cheaper options for competition to bring down prices. You also need someone willing to say "that's too expensive, I wont buy it" and walk away. Same is true for the inhalers. If someone will pay $100 before switching to the generic, that is what they get charged. In Canada, the state is only willing to pay $10, so that is the price. This is the demand side of the problem.
There is also a supply problem, where the state provides medical company monopolies through "certification of need". It is basically illegal to open an MRI clinic that would compete with an existing one in many jurisdictions.
https://radiologybusiness.com/topics/medical-imaging/magneti...
You think consumers wouldn't do that if they were able to do so? You call the facility and everyone says the price is "it depends". They decide what they are going to charge you after you have left. Is any other industry allowed to do that? Hire someone to paint your house and he comes up with the price after he is done?
> There is also a supply problem, where the state provides medical company monopolies through "certification of need"
I'm well aware of this. Isn't it interesting that the people who give some of the largest campaign contributions have these sort of laws carved out for them? Charge whatever you want, decide the price in a opaque manner after the fact, competitors aren't allowed to establish themselves without their permission, importing drugs from other countries is forbidden. The list goes on and on.
Then you would think, if there is this much rampant and obvious corruption the fourth estate would step in right? Oh, they receive billions a year to advertise prescription drugs. Advertisement that can't be that effective, sometimes for pretty rare conditions, things your doctor should be made aware of but really odd to tell people about in a massive ad campaign.
The mainstream media and both parties are paid handsomely to allow this to continue. The problem isn't people are fat, or death panels or any of the distractions. The debate isn't about socialized medicine vs private. It's not about "keeping your doctor". There is just massive corruption to the tune of trillions of dollars in the past decade. There needs to be criminal investigations.
I agree that no matter if we go to a more private or socialized system, a whole system of broken regulation needs to be removed, and this will be the main point of resistance from those who benefit from the status quo.