One issue that's talked about less frequently is how high US doctor incomes are compared to other countries. The average doctor in Japan made ~$105,000 USD [1] in 2014, whereas in the US the average primary care doctor made $195,000 and the average specialist made $284,000 [2]. Anecdotally, I had an eye infection in Mexico and was seen by an ophthalmologist the same day for an $8 consult fee and treated with antibiotics that cost $20, using the exact same techniques and equipment that would have cost me hundreds of dollars in the US.

We're paying our doctors sometimes double what they make in other countries and receiving inferior health outcomes. It's easy to vilify the AMA but our doctors also have an unusually high amount of risk and obligation when it comes to malpractice, which wouldn't go away if everyone magically was on Medicare For All tomorrow.

To reduce health care costs, someone needs to get squeezed... but who? Reducing doctor salaries will lead to a shortage of doctors unless there's some additional action on easing the education burden they presently have to take on.

[1] http://nbakki.hatenablog.com/entry/Annual_Salary_by_Occupati... (2014) [2] https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-salary-does-a-docto... (2014)