Well, there are many angles to the discussion. none of this happens in a vacuum, and there are myriad pressures from all directions. Also, do not mistake me pointing out that govt infusion of money into the education system is all bad. As a system in of itself, it certainly needs to be looked at on its own merits. But nonetheless - the fact remains that govt pumping money into the system via grants and (mostly) loans has had a direct impact on the rising cost of tuition.

Also, I have known plenty of people who have chosen to spend less on healthcare than they could have. Whether it was wise on their part or not is debatable. But humans are individual, sovereign creatures.. and they always have a choice. You can argue that they may only have one "good" choice, but it is just a point of view and not objective reality.

Your life literally depends on healthcare in only a fairly small amount of cases, when talking about most people - especially the non-elderly.

You need to look at the system as a whole, and the flow of money from start to finish. Wherever govt (or any body) injects lots of free capital into a system, the system will find ways to soak up all the money on the table. That is what has happened here. The principles don't change, only the expression of those principles.

Capital is completely agnostic. It does not matter if the market is govt funded, or privately funded. If there is an opportunity for someone to make money off it, many people and industries will work at doing just that whether the resulting outcome is healthy or not for the rest of us, thats just human nature.

For who could be free when every other man's humour might domineer over him? - John Locke (2nd Treatise, sect 57)