RRHC makes valuable points, but
Before the 1960 (with the advent of medicare and medicaid) the practice of medicine was far simpler. The money that was pumped into the medical care industry spawned the development of the medical industry as we know it.
There was growth in residency programs, an explosion of drugs (for better or worth, whole catagories of drugs as well the explosion of the drug industry and the FDA.
We have improved medicine remarkably in the last 40 years, in large part to the increase in funding that has occurred. Hospitals prior to the 1940s were more of wards to contain disease rather than treat them. Cost were cheap but so were regulations. It is unbelievable the number of regulations needed to rebuild a ward.
But there are valuable points. What I would take away from RRHCs points is that copay is a valuable thing and that it would curb many of the excesses that currently exist.
In a perfect economic world, people would make intelligent choices only if they understand the reward/benefit that exists.
This is not always possible in medicine. Additionally larger organizations such as hospitals and medical device makers would have a hard time shielding their assets from malpractice.
A true reform would be reworking the rules about med mal suits which would both protect the provider and the patient. I'm not sure I know exactly how to that other than the Shakespearian line kill all the lawyers (we might run into a few regulations about that too).
