how would the exhorbitant prices be controlled? I dont think it's possible to unexplode the cost bomb without burning the whole system down and reimagining it
Are you suggesting that if healthcare was sold in a free market the same as pretty much any other good or service, it wouldn't bring down costs? I disagree. The problem is that insurance companies distort that market by acting as a middle man that obfuscates and drives up prices. Consumers tend to overpurchase because "insurance will pay for it", and the doctors bill as much as possibly can, knowing that they won't get 100% from the insurers. It's ridiculous.
Try this some time. Go into an ER and ask the doctor/nurse/anybody who works there "I don't have insurance (or I have a HDHP) - what's this going to cost if I just want to pay for it right now, out of pocket." Nobody can tell you.
Nobody. They have a person in the ER in charge of "registration" who's sole job is to collect your insurance info - she has no idea how much the service will cost. Try the same thing at your doctor's office. Maybe you'll get better information - probably not.
The market for healthcare is completely mumped up, and it's mainly because of
how we use insurance. Obamacare makes this problem a lot worse - not better.