In closing I'd always support free healthcare being available to all citizens of a country when they need it.
Except... it isn't free.
The UKs life expectancy is higher, infant mortality rates are lower, the number of doctors and nurses per capita is higher. Healthcare costs are lower as a of GDP and the per capita is barely 2/5 of the USA's.
If I remember correctly, don't Canadians also have a higher life expectancy and lower infant mortality rates? I could be wrong, I am going by memory. If you have a serious problem, then you have waiting lines to trudge through. Rather than paying a little more money to get the help you need, you have to wait to be judged if your injury is serious enough to be treated right away.
I hate using the argument you presented in any healthcare debate. Life expectancy is effected by many different variables outside of medical care. Life expectancy can be effected by people who are killed instantly and don't make it to the hospital, car accidents, climate, how much people work out, diets, so on and so on.
If someone goes into a hospital with private insurance, they may gain immediate treatment that is better than someone who has national insurance. Let's suppose that person gets into a car accident. If you look at average life expectancy, the person with national insurance lives longer. However, you can't tell if he lived longer because of the medical care he received or if he merely lived longer due to the fact he doesn't drive.
If you want to measure how effective health care is, you need to look at specific effects such as how efficient the costs are, how efficient the hospitals and other medical centers are, how reliable hospitals and medical centers are, and we need to look ONLY at the people who come and go from the hospital.
In a nutshell, life expectancy is
not the way to measure how effective health care is or is not.
A country can be at war, have the best health care, and have the lowest life expectancy.
Furthermore, the US' health system is already the most expensive in the world.
Yet, the US still is able to maintain a high standard of living.
"Most expensive in the world" can mean anything!
Maybe medical care is so expensive most Americans can't afford it?
Maybe Americans are so rich they can afford to pay more for medical care?
You can't really tell what most expensive really means.
But it's crap for those who can't afford it. I believe it will remain one of the best for those who can afford it
Who says most Americans can't afford it? Who says most Americans can't find a way to pay off their medical bills? Also, who says most Americans need medical care in the first place?! People who don't want to pay for insurance and don't have medical problems get the very best value of anyone... they lose no money at all! I'm healthy, young, and don't (didn't) plan on wasting my money on health care until I had a better job or if I started having problems or if I was actually older.
Do you know the chances of me having health problems at my age that would need medical attention? The chances are VERY VERY low. Sure, I may end up having health problems at a young age, but statistically, that probably isn't going to happen. That's a gamble I'm willing to take. Odds are in my favor. Now, I'm being forced to pay for health insurance. Now, odds are against me. The chances of me paying for health care I will not use are VERY VERY high.
I don't want to be forced to pay for a safety net. I'm not walking on a right rope, I am walking on a steel bridge with sturdy railing.