Healthcare needs to be universal in the US. But that goal has to be coupled with huge cost reductions. Harnessing market mechanisms to control costs is good, but going totally market doesn't seem feasible - some people will just put off care until it becomes really expensive to treat. That’s why ER visits actually went up after Obamacare was implemented
The opposite was supposed to happen. Since more people would be insured under Obamacare, fewer would delay timely medical care. More would get regular check-ups. Medical conditions would be caught and treated before they got out of hand, necessitating a visit to the ER. That was the theory anyway.
The problem is a lot of people don’t like going to the doctor, especially when they have a hefty co-pay or deductible. And under Obamacare, high out-of-pocket plans almost tripled. For instance, in 2008, just 18% of insured had plan deductibles of at least $1000; by 2016, it was 51%. That was because of the individual mandate: since everyone was supposed to get insured under Obamacare, many people chose the cheapest plans they could find, which meant they had to assume much of the cost of their medical care. So they procrastinated*. The rest is history and some lessons learned.
One lesson is that healthcare is unlike other consumables. High prices can motivate people to be cost-conscious, planful, and spend responsibly. That is a good thing when it comes to purchasing cars or televisions. When you delay buying these expensive goods until your financial situation improves, you’re often better off in the long run. Not so when you delay seeing the doctor about that pesky stomach ache.
Link:
http://time.com/money/4503325/obama-health-care-costs-obamacare/
* Of course, those struggling financially may put off medical care with smaller deductibles or co-pays.