Comment by tptacek

I think people mistake me for saying that the American status quo is acceptable. It isn't. We overpay (and overprescribe) wildly above peer countries. It's very bad. The only point I'm making here is that the two most common villains in these narratives --- insurers and pharma companies --- mathematically account for only a small portion of spending. Insurers in particular act as sin-eaters for the providers, who dwarf them in size.