National Healthcare System?

[afleitch]

The NHS in the UK is free...up to a point. For the majority, prescriptions are not free, though they are heavily subsidized, dental care and eye care often cost money too. But if a kid needs their appendix removed or a man needs a heart valve it is free. The NHS in the UK is the third biggest employer in the world, after things such as the Indian State Railways. The NHS is also institutionalised in society so that even Conservatives would not dare to tamper with its basic principles. It isn't perfect, but it does its job and gives high quality healthcare to the richest and poorest in society.

[afleitch]

To quote Homer Simpson: 'Oh Marge, the American health system is the best in the world, except for Japan, Sweden, Great Britain...well all of Europe, but you can thank your lucky stars we don't live in Paraguay!!' or something to that effect

I guess the US could never adopt a British style system really. Ours was founded in 1948, when things were simpler and people were more trustworthy, and it has adapted and changed since then, and still only costs a few percent of our GDP. In the US, it would be almost impossible to start from scratch in the modern climate.

[afleitch]

It has its problems, but it if far better than the system offered to millions of working and middle class Americans at present