The "free market" argument is NEVER used to benefit consumers directly if at all. It's an argument rolled out to get individuals to ignore what government is doing for other stakeholders in healthcare and preys on those consumers foolish enough to believe that by opting out government will do what's best for consumers and the free market will take care of everything else. Laws are leaders in the money-grab of consumer dollars for everything from taxes to industry incentives. If you believe that there's a free market you might ask yourselves why industry spends so much on purchasing government influence in order to get laws favorable to their industry year after year?
The website OpenSecrets.org presents information on how much a given industry spent on lobbying government for laws--not free market but LAWS that benefit them. Health insurers (https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/indusclient.php?id=F09) during the years of 1998 to 2015 spent the most in 2009, the year before the enactment of Obamacare and spent $118,603,460 according to the site.
Lobbying for pharmaceuticals/Health products was at $179,053,490 for 2015, with its two highest spending years from 1998 to 2015 in 2009, 2010, right around Obamacare enactment (http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/indusclient.php?id=h04).
The American Medical Association spent $23,955,000, the most they've ever spent lobbying this year with their highest year from 1998 to 2015 before this year the year 2010 at $22,555,000 in 2010, Obamacare time. (https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000068)
