Pricing can only be negotiated properly when a buyer and seller are sufficiently educated about the market and the products.
Very few people are sufficiently knowledgeable about medicine and healthcare to be able to discern an appropriate price (much less determine if what they are buying is even necessary or not).
Hence society relies on #1) trust by assuming healthcare providers are acting on good faith and #2) a knowledgeable actor providing a second opinion such as a government healthcare payer like the NHS in the UK or private insurance companies in the USA, who employ teams of doctors and pharmacists to review people’s cases and determine appropriate levels care.
For example, if you have a plumbing problem, you can call 5 plumbers and get educated and make an informed decision. With a healthcare emergency, lack of time and lack of healthcare providers and other resources makes that an untenable solution.
Very few people are sufficiently knowledgeable about medicine and healthcare to be able to discern an appropriate price (much less determine if what they are buying is even necessary or not).
Hence society relies on #1) trust by assuming healthcare providers are acting on good faith and #2) a knowledgeable actor providing a second opinion such as a government healthcare payer like the NHS in the UK or private insurance companies in the USA, who employ teams of doctors and pharmacists to review people’s cases and determine appropriate levels care.
For example, if you have a plumbing problem, you can call 5 plumbers and get educated and make an informed decision. With a healthcare emergency, lack of time and lack of healthcare providers and other resources makes that an untenable solution.