I have heard doctors on Sean Hannity show describing very low prices for their network. Competition works to lower prices.
Agreed, and there are two simple ways to increase competitiveness in health care industry:
1. Prohibit health care providers and health insurers from colluding as to pricing. Most if not all provider/insurer contracts prohibit the provider from charging the consumer less than the insurer would pay to the provider for the same services. For example, suppose I decide to go out-of-network to see a highly regarded specialist/provider and offer to pay the specialist cash for the medical services. By contract with the health insurers, the provider cannot charge the patient less for the medical services than the provider would receive from the insurer for providing the same service under the health insurance plan. This smells seems like collusion and price fixing, and is probably illegal in any other consumer market.
2. Increase transparency for all medical services by posting the price prior to delivery of the service, including the book price for the service, the price charged to the insurer, and the charge to the patient, if any, in the form of deductibles and co-pays. For example, if I have to have an MRI and I have a $2,500 deductible, I ought to be able to shop for the lowest cost MRI, but I can't effectively do that because the medical care industry lacks transparency in pricing.