Well from the perspective of being a consumer of health care in both Canada and the US, I have seen both sides of the tarnished coin. All of us are going to have an opinion on this topic shaped by our own experiences. So that being said, this is my personal 0.02 for whatever it may add to this discussion.
The biggest question I ask you to think seriously about is this: WHAT DID YOU EVER GET IN LIFE THAT WAS SUPER FANTASTIC GREAT..... FOR FREE?!?!?!?! For most of us, the answer to this once carefully considered is ....absolutely eff all.
That may seem ultimately pessimistic but coming from the magical land of "free" aka tax-funded health care, I can say I have received better medical care as well as better customer satisfaction for every damn dollar I have paid into US medical insurance and medical bills.
The system is not perfect either way, and I do believe in order to find a balance it may be a public and private sector joint effort.
While it is atrocious that people may have limited access to basic medical care in the United States due to lack of financial resources or ineligibility for health insurance, the access problem still exists in a "socialized" medical system. Instead of being limited outwardly by the almighty dollar, it is limited by a lack of access due volume of usage and wait lists.
In the US, people suffer and perhaps die from lack of medical care because they can't afford it or lack resources.
In Canada, people die on obscene waiting lists (unless they cash pay and hop the border) or due lack of access because they can't get regular medical attention other than in an ED with an 8+ hour waiting list. This is even worse in rural health care settings where many patients are on ridiculous waiting lists for cardiac care or oncology services.
So, you can choose to wrap it in the beautiful Christmas wrapping and bows of your choice, but either way you look its still a pile of shit with a fancy wrapping.
I know this rant is a bit off topic from the original posting, but I suppose I was due to vent some frustration. Both from a medical provider and a patient view, it is not all roses in our "socialized" medical model.
I do think that with the government paying in socialized medicine that people do abuse the system more often. They figure that if they call 911, they will get seen sooner, even if it is for a stubbed toe. People are known to frequent the ER for splinters, a sore throat, the sniffles, etc....which is true of everywhere I suppose.
If someone knows you will be the most expensive taxi ride of their life (not the $45 fee that the patient must pay here versus the ~$900 ALS fee in some states of the US) and that they are going to foot the bill, they will be less likely to call for inappropriate reasons (in some cases).
Anyhow, I have spent a few years researching on this topic with a professor as well as debating both sides of the fence. This discussion is a good one, and needs to be pondered by all health professionals.
Rant over.