You clearly have a limited comprehension of how the health care industry is financed. Rather than suckling at the government teat, health care providers must acquiesce to government price controls, regardless of who is paying the bill. Federal and state laws also limit institutional recourse when a "customer" lacks the funds to pay. In other words, we are probably the only industry that is required by law to give our services away. Medicare and Medicaid reimbursment schedules are lower than any free-market could possibly allow, so the teat you speak of often leaves us hungrier than we were before meal time.
Yes, if we decided to pay nurses a million dollars a year, yippee, no more shortage. But where in the hell do you think the money to pay them that would come from? Believe me, my organization would love to compete head to head with other providers out there, no-holds-barred. But because so much of the electorate believes quality health care is a "right" and not something that should be compensated for based on value, we have the system we do. That's why the next time you have to go the emergency room (heaven forbid), you'll likely be in line behind some destitute child with a hangnail, who will use $1000 in time and resources for free.