Socializing healthcare drives up costs for everyone, pushing higher quality alternatives out of range for more people. Providers no longer compete on price, and consumers no longer factor price when selecting providers or moderating their use of resources. Combined, these factors will make (and already have been making) private alternatives unrealistic for all but the most wealthy, whereas prior to the government takeover of healthcare, high-quality private care was well within reach for (at least) the lower-middle class.