This a million times!!

The US is the only modern country without cost controls. Providers set prices and insurance companies do little other than pass those costs onto consumers.

When will we get cost controls? Likely never. It's very anti-capitalism to restrain free trade. (Yes, there's some sarcasm there. This issue pisses me off.)

There are cost controls! It's usually the maximum that insurance companies or Medicare are willing to pay.

Until we treat healthcare like we treat our regional monopolies (electricity, education, etc.) the the government won't be able to set prices lower.

There are no cost controls like other nations have. Japan has a single book that details the costs of all medicines and procedures. It is agreed to by both sides, under threat that the government will step in if there is no agreement.

This is what we need in the US. I should not pay a different price if I have insurance or pay cash. People that pay cash are routinely charged far more than people with insurance.

That's misleading. First of all, medicare is set by the government, and healthcare organizations cater service only to what is covered for medicare patients.

Secondly, hospitals charge people with insurance more. Typically if a patient is uninsured and paying cash, the hospital will work out ways to charge them less, because they are personally liable for way more than what insured are. Hospitals still want to get paid, and charging a patient into bankruptcy is not a way to achieve that.

Here's an idea: Democrats agree to any Republican ACA change with a condition that existing insurance company shareholders and bondholders are destroyed and replaced by US citizens as the new shareholders/bondholders inversely proportional to their wealth (not income).

Haha fat chance. But there is the subsidy.