I still think we are missing the point with each other. If one company inflated the cost beyond what another company thought was reasonable, then the second company would keep its prices lower and attempt to gain market share. In a competitive market, the algebra between gross margin and volume does not allow for inflated prices.

Yes there is room to make things more effecient, but its not all on the healthcare providers either. Many healthcare providers estimate that betwen 7-10% of all Medicare receipts go towards the billing & compliance burdens imposed by Medicare? Think what that means in terms of staff requirements alone for hospitals and doctor's offices.

Yes there are some inefficiencies with healthcare providers, but I could give you similar examples in almost all industries. To hold the healthcare industry up to some standard other industries cannot follow is not really the solution.