It's a mistake, and frankly barbaric, to think of healthcare as a "market." It should be a public service to all in the pursuit of a just society.
Which accounts for 4% of healthcare spending. Rare, unforeseen events are covered by insurance. That's how home insurance works. That's how car insurance works. That's how health insurance works.
> It's a mistake, and frankly barbaric, to think of healthcare as a "market."
I don't "think of" healthcare as a market. By definition, it is a market. Whether it functions well enough to any person's satisfaction is a matter of what that person values.
> It should be a public service to all in the pursuit of a just society.
Is a "just" society your only goal? A healthy society, a wealthy society, a free society. There are many goals which might conflict with a "just" society. How do you balance those objectives with social justice?
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Edit: I forgot to respond to my main point. Namely, that I do pick and choose healthcare based on who provides the best price. I shopped around my dentist. I shopped around for my root canal, I shopped for some eye issue I had, I shopped around for my general practitioner, I ask for alternatives when the doctor wants to prescribe medications.
Which is to say. I do not shop around for health insurance (it is provided by my employer). I shop around for health care specifically.