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I think it might actually be better if it was truly private (or public, but not the hybrid we have now.) I have what is well considered excellent insurance in a state known to be a leader in healthcare (and insurance) and I never know what to expect when I go to the doctor. Recently, my husband had a 5 minute throat culture and the bill came for $88, which the insurance reduced to $64 . . . he never even saw a doctor and it was in network! That would have been okay, if we had walked in and seen a sign that said "throat culture, $64", but you just never know . . .so the "invisible hand" doesn't work very well! Many doctors aren't do very well either because of all the insurance junk they have to deal with as well as huge liability. Oh, I think our insurance is pretty close to $1000 a month -- dh's employer covers about 2/3. Our family has two adults and a close to 2 year old. We have to pay the first $200 (per person) and then they cover 80%. Annual out of pocket maximum is $1200 (per family) as long as you're in-network (almost everything "normal" is in-network).