Your dog's healthcare is dependent on your willingness to pay for it. Your healthcare is dependent in most cases on a third-party willingness to pay for it.

When you pay for something, you make the decision whether the "care" makes sense. But studies show people act very differently when they have to pay for their own health care vs a third party.

A simple example, varying the patient's responsibility in terms of co-pays and cost sharing produces very different demands for care.

So perhaps we should return to people having catastrophic health care coverage only and them paying out of pocket most of their health care. I think you would then see a health care system more focused at what you want and are willing to pay for. But do you think most people really want that or would they rather pay much less to have a third party "manage" their care.