At least in France, it's both. The cost for the patient is usually low thanks to the health insurance, but also because of price control. A GP visit is 25 euros by law, covered from 70 to 100% depending on your insurance. Doctors can choose to charge more but then patients need better private insurances to be reimbursed.

You can find the price lists here:

* https://www.ameli.fr/paris/medecin/exercice-liberal/facturat... * https://www.ameli.fr/paris/medecin/exercice-liberal/facturat...

How many visits does it take to get a simple prescription?

We have something similar, I've been appointed consultations only to be asked how I felt.

You can get a simple prescription at the first consultation. For what I remember 10yrs ago, to see a specialist, you need to go to you general practitioner first. Then he will decide if you need a referral.

Edit: you can go directly to a specialist or not follow the « health path », you will just get less reimbursed. Some specialist can be seen without referral (gyn, psy...)

If doctors can choose to charge more to willing patients, that doesn't seem to actually be a price control. Perhaps 25 euros is the amount that the insurance system will reimburse?

The French system is fairly complex, it's not single payer. To sum up, for "everyday" health issues the public health insurance reimburses 70%. For grave long-term illnesses, you're covered 100%.

You're supposed to have a private health insurance (it's now mandatory for all employees) that reimburses the remaining 30% and all extra costs. That includes some dental and optical work, but also stuff like single-bed rooms in the hospital. Your additional private insurance also covers doctors charging more than the "official" price.

No, the per capita cost of healthcare in the US is astronomically greater than Western European countries, including both private and public spend. In the UK the NHS is a socialised service that is free at the point of use. If that's not 'regulation' then I don't know what is.

To regulate an industry is to make rules about how its participants may behave. This worlds away from government participating in the industry directly.

Public housing is a public service; rent control is regulation.

Public transit is a public service; fuel efficiency standards are regulation.

Medicare is a public service; the medical licensing regime is regulation.

It's not a regulation of a private industry. It's a law on the people to pay for public health. If we still want to call it a regulation then it's a regulation on individuals instead of the health business.