{UAH} If the US is so pro-capitalism and free-market, why does the healthcare system hide the cost of services and products until *after* you use it (e.g., you can't find the cost of a doctor/hospital until after you are billed)?

The problem is that the American health care system is not very capitalist, and definitely not free market.

We Already Have Socialized Medicine – The Future of Freedom Foundation

Surprise! American Health Care Is Already Socialized

Socialized Medicine is Already Here

We've Already Got Socialized Medicine

How much does the federal government spend on health care?

The federal government spent nearly $1.2 trillion on health care in fiscal year 2019 (table 1). Of that, Medicare claimed roughly $644 billion, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Pro-gram (CHIP) about $427 billion, and veterans' medical care about $80 billion. In addition to these direct outlays, various tax provisions for health care reduced income tax revenue by about $234 billion. Over $152 billion of that figure comes from the exclusion from taxable income of employers' contributions for medical insurance premiums and medical care. The exclusion of employer contributions to medical care also substantially reduced payroll taxes, though that impact is not included in official tax expenditure estimates. Including its impact on both income and payroll taxes, the exclusion reduced government revenue by $273 billion in 2019.

Not only does the government spend almost $1.2 TRILLION on health care in America, it has herded us into employer provided health care "insurance" with massive regulation requiring insurance companies provide all sorts of non-emergency care. Insurance is supposed to be for emergencies. You don't use your car insurance for oil changes, or to fill your tank up with gas. You don't use your home owner's insurance to pay for lawn maintenance.

We use health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid to pay for everything. Third parties are paying for everything, so why should patients even ask how much it costs? Till insurance no longer covers it. Or you can't afford insurance, because these regulations have driven the price of insurance through the roof.

We have all sorts of pro-monopoly government regulations and policies driving up health care costs. The FDA creates monopolies in even medicines which have been used for decades, and ought to be in the public domain because the original patents have expired.

Government-Protected 'Monopolies' Drive Drug Prices Higher, Study Says

We have a government backed doctor's cartel called the American Medical Association that limits the number of people who can train to become doctors every year. We have certificate of need laws which restrict the supply of hospitals, medical clinics, and the medical equipment they can purchase.

Certificate of Need

So you can see, hospitals and doctors don't like to tell you ahead of time what their services are going to cost, because to some degree most patients don't care because they are not paying for it themselves, and because government monopoly policies have driven the prices up.

There are, however, doctors and medical clinics that DO provide pricing up front, because they try to operate as if they were in a free market, breaking away from this sick system.

Free Market Medical Association

These doctors and clinics do not accept Medicare, Medicaid, or insurance. They provide a list of procedures and services up front, and give you a receipt afterwards so you can seek compensation from your insurance company is you choose. They negotiate with the drug companies to get the best prices available, and often manage savings up to 97%.

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