What's Up With the Health Insurance Market?

I am generally optimisitic about the free market, but wonder just how free our Health Insurance Market really is. Rates keep going up, the media keeps portraying lots of uninsureds, and sometimes I really wonder about who's running some of these companies. Among my biggest concerns is the consolidation of the playing field.

It is happening in other industries too, but we are in this one. More competition leads to better pricing, usually. We all like more choice. America prospered and grew with the Mom and Pop businesses. The big businesses of today all did begin as small struggling enterprises.

Well, that's all great, but what I'd like to see is a more vibrant market where start ups have a place, and where consumers have more choice. What this means state governments, and Federal Government, help us with going after the baddies, but allow a vibrant place to do business, not a restraining one.