It's not fair competition, healthcare is full of players competing with each other in a highly regulated marketplace. The system has been set up in a way (generally with good intentions, you want doctors to have expensive malpractice insurance for example) that no matter who is providing the services, the costs to the end user are going to be high.

So, maybe something's can't be solved by free market capitalism?

> healthcare disproportionately high compared to other things?

it's because the number you're comparing to is from other countries, where they subsidize their own citizen's healthcare.

The US's healthcare system has become a convoluted mess, and the competition you mention is not sufficient.

Oh, so there are other means or systems that are good or even better, i.e. more sufficient to fix or improve society than just blind competition. Got it!