Ever hear of the VA care? I imagine socialized healthcare in the US would be pretty similar to that...and that isn't really that great.
We have a good system. Here are a few points.
First, it is not a socialist program. That term is used to scare timid Americans into continuing with the exorbitant insurance scheme they now fund which benefits the insurance companies. Second, the VA hospitals are not relevant. Our hospitals are not run by a government department. Drs., hospitals and other medical bills go to the provinces for payment partially funded as well by the feds. Hospitals are charities budgeted by the provinces and partially funded by the federal govt. They are run by Boards of Governors with local reps. Drs. are self employed, pay their staff and often form community clinics.
Three, we pay higher taxes for sure but when I go for an operation or see a DR., I do not pay. The rich pay more than the poor for medical services due to our progressive tax system, same as in most democratic countries.We use insurance, mostly accessed as an occupational benefit, for glasses, drugs, physio, etc.Seniors have a drug benefit plan for the usual prescription medicine. There is always a need to cover really expensive shit which the govt. fights as long as possible.
Wait times are the political hot potato and a metric for success.
The system is very precarious as the Drs. always get more year after year, expenses climb , and immigrants swell the emergency rooms coming from shit holes with no medicine beyond a fire and a coloured stick.
Four, an example: I had arthritis in a hip. The hip operation wait time was estimated ~ three months. If I had wanted to or could afford it ( I could ) I could have paid for it directly or gone to the US and paid there, in either case the time would have been reduced to a few days.
The actual wait time was about 6 weeks . What scares the American electorate is the notion of higher taxes to pay for medical care. They are unprepared to pay taxes to their government but will pay profits to their insurance companies who make a bundle in the process. Their loss is that in Canada we have care whether we can afford it or not.
Go figure !