The cost of healthcare is high because of how it ' s paid for . We have a ridiculously inefficient system where you pay a premium , and right off the bat your insurance company takes a cut . Your insurance company gets billed for some ungodly amount and negotiates it down to just a ridiculous amount , but most Americans don ' t even see directly the cost of healthcare because they get it through their employer . And healthcare providers have the luxury of negotiating with multiple buyers . And hospitals have to pay administrative costs just to deal with insurance . And this isn ' t just for your ER visit . It ' s for your annual checkup , too . I think switching to a singlepayer system as a nation would do more to effect the cost of healthcare than anything else . In that system the government will be able to strongarm the healthcare providers into lowering their costs drastically and they ' ll find a way , and the cost of healthcare will be reflected in your taxes .