Psst, want to hear an anecdote?
Every few months I run across an anecdote about how horrible Canada’s or UK’s national health system is (but never about any of the other European health systems, hmm). Anecdotes may cause you to consider an argument, but you need to turn to data to draw conclusions.
US/Canada health system comparisons:
Big study, clearly written: http://www.pnhp.org/canadastudy/
And a 2007 Commonwealth Fund study:
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2007_05/011316.php
Med. student review of the literature: http://www.amsa.org/studytours/WaitingTimes_primer.pdf
BTW, the Canada comparison is the one in which the US looks best, several of the European national health systems are *much better* and *much cheaper*. US citizens with top-of-the-line employer provided health plans get care as good as in the best European systems (just more expensive).
Conclusion: US has the worst and by far the most expensive health system among Western nations.