Costs have risen because insurance company middlemen have skimmed the system while colluding to set prices. Ask yourself this: Why does the Untied States have the highest per-capita medical spending of any industrial democracy? All the other ones have single payer systems but they pay less and cover everyone.

But that point is just how we got to these extremely high costs, not how to deal with them NOW. Our system is the best in the world if you are wealthy. If you are middle class and severely sick this is one of the worst in the world. Certainly among rich nations. You made a comment a couple posts ago about what insurance exists for. INSURANCE EXISTS TO PROTECT FINANCIAL SECURITY. Even non catastrophic health care costs can push middle class people into bankruptcy, and it does every day!

The present cost of health care make this entire discussion about only catastrophic health care plans being better than comprehensive plans preposterous! And how about these "health care savings accounts"? Do YOU have one? How many middle class families in America are able to save the kind of money to cover a lifetime of healthcare costs?

If we had a single payer system everyone would be covered and the costs would be spread out because everyone would pay a smaller amount out of their taxes.