> It has the same problem all socialized health care programs have: the people who are actually getting the care, patients, have no idea what it costs, so they can't judge whether the care they are getting is worth the cost.

Let’s imagine (unrealistically) that through some technical breakthrough, patients knew the cost before making their purchasing decision. They still do not know what it is worth, because they have no idea what the risks of not being treated are. There is a problem that your doctor also probably does not know the cost, but they are the only person in the decision making process with the information necessary to make a rational recommendation. (And, unfortunately, they usually have a conflict of interest.)

Healthcare is different from buying cars or groceries - even if you know the relative costs, you are unlikely to know the relative benefits.