I have Medicare it is not free health insurance.

[mwooldri]

32. There is no such thing as free healthcare.

Though I never saw a single doctors bill or hospital bill until I came to the US, I did see "National Insurance" deducted from my pay once I got my first real job.

The UK system is simpler, and more cost effective. Though it's not the system that America can have - too much is nationalized. Plus "Who's your GP (General Practitioner aka Primary Care Physician)" is important. Urban areas may have some choice. Rural areas not so much. If the GP takes you, you can choose. Choice is more restricted as hospitals will specialize - some very rare conditions might have only one clinic (maybe two) in the country to deal with it. Plus since the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish National Health Services are much smaller than NHS England, they have to send some patients to England. I know of one family who lived in Glasgow and the surgeon that treats their child was at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital in London. I think they got intimate with Virgin Trains... but I digress.

Of course Medicare and Medicaid are not free. But there is so much waste and duplication in the hodge podge of private systems that is the US health care system no wonder it is the most expensive in the world. Medicare for All would make things simpler, and still leave lots of room for the private insurers to make money. Even then this basic idea can be tinkered around with to allow a lot of private involvement, yet achieve 100% coverage.