Is it the perception that increased competition will have negative effects on members' incomes or is that actually true? I swear I remember a story, study, allegory about a second doctor moving to town and both incomes went up.
Generally true in other areas. Health care is not that exceptional a market, though it is exceptional in several respects. We do generally observe in health care specifically that increases in market concentration increase prices.
> I swear I remember a story, study, allegory about a second doctor moving to town and both incomes went up.
I'll take a look if you can find it. It's possible. One story I can imagine would be something like: First Doctor can see more patients b/c he can send his more complicated patients to Second Doctor's specialty practice. And Second Doctor moved from a smaller town w/ fewer patients in the specialty.
In the aggregate and outside of special cases more supply will bring prices down.