There is no such thing as the free market when it comes to healthcare. Not only is the consumer not in a position to shop around when dealing with health issues, partly because you're often not in a position of even knowing what treatment you need until you've decided on a provider and undergone expensive consultations, but also, providers are put in positions of not being allowed to refuse service based on ability to pay.
Not to mention, the "free market" solution doesn't actually involve consumers "voting with their wallets" and choosing the healthcare they want, but rather choosing from a very limited set of insurance options where they have no real choice or power. And the choices they are offered basically amount to a small array of socialized healthcare options: you have no control over your benefits and extremely little ability to choose a different one, but everyone pays into a large pool and costs are shared by the group as a whole so outlier costs are not overly burdensome to individuals. It is wholly baffling to me that anyone can support this system but be against socialized healthcare. Our model is socialized healthcare, but instead of being socialized across the nation as a whole, it's socialized across a particular employer or purchasing group. Does this actually give us choice? No. Go analyze your health plan "options" offered by your employer and tell me you're participating in the free market and I will laugh in your face.
You point out the very problems that free market competition has in this market. Given that you know the problem, now try to find a solution. Hint: most of them are policy changes.
Not to mention, the "free market" solution doesn't actually involve consumers "voting with their wallets" and choosing the healthcare they want, but rather choosing from a very limited set of insurance options where they have no real choice or power. And the choices they are offered basically amount to a small array of socialized healthcare options: you have no control over your benefits and extremely little ability to choose a different one, but everyone pays into a large pool and costs are shared by the group as a whole so outlier costs are not overly burdensome to individuals. It is wholly baffling to me that anyone can support this system but be against socialized healthcare. Our model is socialized healthcare, but instead of being socialized across the nation as a whole, it's socialized across a particular employer or purchasing group. Does this actually give us choice? No. Go analyze your health plan "options" offered by your employer and tell me you're participating in the free market and I will laugh in your face.