The lack of price transparency and emergence of 3rd party system was direct result of heavy regulations on health care dating back to WW2, and was slowly solidified into law through tax incentives and then recently became "official" through the ACA.

Brief summary:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/paulhsieh/2013/11/17/the-only-ob...

I don't consider myself libertarian, but facts should be straight on this issue.