If you're having a heart attack, are you really in a position to negotiate on price? At all? I get that there might be some downward pressure, but what prevents the hospital from just laying an absurd bill on you after the procedure?
It's somewhat akin to emergency non-medical services - say, a tow truck, locksmith, or plumber. Many of these services cost quite a bit more than they should. Why? Because the people who need them are in no position to shop around.
> The hope with a real free market is that you wouldn't have to negotiate in that situation, the prices would already be reasonable.
The theoretical efficiency of a real "real free market" depends on the ability to evaluate and choose options in a competitive market for purchasing goods and services based on perfect knowledge of the costs of and utility from each purchase.
There's a whole lot of reasons that a deregulated market for "purchasing treatment for a heart attack you are currently experiencing" is not likely to have the features that theoretically create efficiency in a "real free market".
