"People would take better care of themselves, use prescription drugs more wisely, etc., if they were responsible for a greater portion of the cost."
Only to a point, it costs me almost $500.00/month before I even use my insurance and I am 53 with a 5 year old daughter and an epileptic wife. It costs me an additional $150 a month for my wifes various meds and Dr visit copays. Because of this, I don't go to the doctor and there are more than one very big reasons that I should. I am a milignant melanoma survivor but fear it's returned and I suffer from severe degenerative arthritis in the neck and spine. I cannot afford to see a doctor or be hospitilized. My wife cannot drive and we live in the country. I'm screwed and I pay a very large chunk of money for my healthcare.
Obviously, I was generalizing.