Replying to Your country's Healthcare System

So I noticed that not everyone in this cult is from the states. And I think learning about other nations' systems can help you learn more about your own. Some of this is pretty essential to know, especially for Americans IMO (since America's is so awfully fragmented). I have a vague idea of what other developed nations are like in terms of their healthcare systems but it'd be nice to hear some personal stories. There are always pro's and con's within each country's healthcare system. Everyone has something to complain about when it comes to their nation's healthcare, so if anyone has any opinions/stories of their country's system they are more than welcome to share them here.


I'll start off by saying that America, despite being one of the world's "richest" nations, fails to cover about 50 million people in the country. About 20,000 people die annually from being uninsured and hundreds of thousands go bankrupt trying to pay off their medical bills (The only "rich" nation worse than the United States in terms of healthcare is China. I think around 60% of the nation has to pay out of pocket). Once "Obamacare" kicks in (billions, maybe even trillions of dollars later) the amount of uninsured will drop to 23 million. America has some of the best educated, best trained, and of course the highest paid doctors in the world. Some people argue that the country's healthcare system is the worst in the world because the amount of people who die from easily curable conditions substantially outnumbers those of other developed countries. Some people argue this its because our country spends around $7,000-8,000 per capita on healthcare, whereas other countries that get nationwide coverage spend substantially less (Japan spends around $3,000 annually per capita, France, the best healthcare system in the world in terms of coverage according to WHO, spends around $3,500 per capita, and Canadians spend a similar amount as the French). Surveys have shown that the vast majority of Americans have no clue about the amount of uninsured/under-insured Americans out there. So with that being said, what are your thoughts/opinions on this? I've also never spoken to a non-American about health insurance so this should be fun.