US healthcare costs more because...it costs more

"In 2009, Americans spent $7,960 per person on health care. Our neighbors in Canada spent $4,808. The Germans spent $4,218. The French, $3,978. If we had the per-person costs of any of those countries, America’s deficits would vanish. "

High health care costs: It’s all in the pricing - The Washington Post

The point of this to me is that far from a more free market approach which results in efficiencies and lower prices,  the US  handling of healthcare, a product like no other in its necessity at time of purchase, actually resembles a cartel-like rigged price system. How else could the same services, even drugs, cost less elsewhere? Given the "product's" importance, this is probably inevitable without a unified, i.e. state , bargaining position.