One is the frictional cost of running a system like this--paying the salaries of the tax lawyers, the lobbyists, the hardworking bureaucrats like Sciscioli.

FORBES: Magazine Article

The federal tax code also allows taxpayers who itemize to deduct the cost of paying state and local income taxes.

FORBES: For the Sake of Tax Reform, The Muni Bond Exemption (and State Tax Deduction) Must Go

And Baldwin alludes to the underlying cause: our Tax Code keeps consumers from realizing the true cost of their medical treatment because employers are usually paying the first dollar.

FORBES: Readers Say

Why would we do the equivalent in medicine unless we like paying a 40% insurance bureaucracy tax for what can easily be paid directly for less than the cost of a daily latte?

FORBES: MD Opts Out And It's Working