Everything is inflated the whole way in the American system.
Universities overcharge in the US. The medical education costs upwards of $800K if you include the cost of lost opportunity had you gone into a different field and worked those years instead. So doctors need higher salaries. That, combined with idiotic market dynamics around medical supplies, means that all medical costs are higher. That in turn means everyone absolutely needs insurance or risk personal bankruptcy.
You can't waste money on the scale of the US system by simply paying doctors too much. Rather, you need to hire entire departments of nonproductive people - eg billing and administration. When you zoom in, most of these positions look like a necessary function, but systematically they don't need to exist. Take for instance a "nurse navigator", whose entire job is to deal with insurance company rigmaroles - as a patient you're extremely thankful to have them, but their position is actually only necessary due to a corresponding insurance company department (that you're also paying for!) trying to deny you care.
The ultimate problem is this planned economy mandate of "full employment". It is in no individual's interest to declare that their own job is counterproductive, otherwise they'll starve. So they hang on performing in their own little niche, sucking resources out of the system so they personally can continue living a dignified life. We're stuck in a paperclip maximizer, and the healthcare industry is one of the best small-scale illustrations of this.
I believe a reform of the healthcare system should include paying for medical school. Let's offer a deal: You go to med school for free, then you work for the government for a decent professional salary.
You don't need the government to solve this problem, they helped create the problem in the first place. You need to reform your political system to actually make it work.
Indeed, and I think we can also make better use of the "lesser" medical degrees as well. For instance I get most of my primary care from a nurse-practitioner or physicians-assistant. My parents' most beloved primary care "doctor," who is an absolute superstar, is a nurse-practitioner.
Maybe there could be some kind of a continuous work-and-training ladder, where you start as a NP, and move your way up as you get more training and practice. Or you can stop whenever you think you've reached your desired level.
Universities overcharge in the US. The medical education costs upwards of $800K if you include the cost of lost opportunity had you gone into a different field and worked those years instead. So doctors need higher salaries. That, combined with idiotic market dynamics around medical supplies, means that all medical costs are higher. That in turn means everyone absolutely needs insurance or risk personal bankruptcy.