I'm not going to get into an argument about what happened and why. You may be right about market forces. I myself am not happy with insurance companies right now because I have Coventry and I despise that company with a passion for good reason (crap they pulled while my sister was in the hospital dying and are now pulling with me).

Forty years ago, I had Major Medical and I paid for my own doctor visits and prescriptions. As you say, prices were low then and affordable. You did not go to the doctor unless you really needed to. Now, doctors want you come back every 4 months just so they can "watch" you: Read: bill the insurance companies. And the more we go to doctors unnecessarily and the more insurance companies have to pay for the unnecessary visits AND prescriptions, the higher the prices go ad infinitum. Drug companies get away with huge prices and profits in this country because of insurance paying for prescriptions. I won't get into the problem with drug companies here. I see it first hand, have experienced the whole thing because I have worked in the medical research area for almost 25 years.

The one thing I haven't addressed in my outline proposal is prescription drugs. A kernel of a plan is brewing in my brain right now.

Not that any of it will make any difference. Congress is going to pass something that will be unpalatable to a large segment of the population and will end up NOT taking care of the poor and indigent.

How can 535 people be so damned incompetent?