What makes you think that without the new laws health care would have gone down at all?

http://www.motherjones.com/files/ima...ecd_growth.jpg

This chart is from way before the new insurance act, if anything more people into the system has made the skyrocketing costs slightly better not worse. Sure plans that covered much less were cheaper, but why pay for insurance if whatever you get is a pre existing condition and not covered at all?

Self employed people get a small fine if they don't have insurance (assuming you get a refund on your federal taxes), its not like you have a gun to your head.