I share Price's skepticism regarding the R&D center but perhaps for different reasons.  The medical care collective currently basks in a massive total compensation rate.  If the R&D center were to succeed and lower the amount of money the government pays for people, the current total compensation rate would drop.  This would piss off the members of the medical care collective who would raise rates to compensate and more than compensate for any drop in total compensation.  The only thing that can reduce and constrain unsustainable growth in medical care costs is single-payer government insurance which the power to arbitrarily set amounts they are willing to pay.  The medical care collective would have not choice but to accept offered (presumably reasonable) rates.  Nobody can pay for medical costs without insurance these days.