Kollelman
You contradict yourself therby identifying a big part of the problem
You say “allow the free market to work. ” yet you correctly identify “A doctor’s visit with a blood test should not cost $500+. The prices are all fake,…. Ask a hospital “how much is this procedure?”, and they will not know.”
How can a free market work if you arent told the price ahead of time?
(though this line “it’s mostly due to lack of competition” is nonsense. Google how many hospitals are in NYC.
The reality is healthcare doesnt follow ordinary economic prinicples. IF a car is broken down you can shop around for the best mechnic, if a heart is “broken down” you can exactly ask the ambulance how much they will charge or direct the ambulance to the cheaper hospital.