This is so but does not belie the fact monies contributed by individuals and employers gets funnelled through a central system however non transparent to fund a national system of healthcare for all who need it (who doesn't?).
I certainly wasn't undervaluing the high quality of many of their hospitals or their medical equipment manufacture. That's a give and besides the point. Unfortunately the expense and inequity of the system has led to a great many bankruptcies (long before the credit crunch). The debate for a so called single payer healthcare system in the US has been gaining apace over the last few years and is reflected by the prominence of politicians like Obama and Clinton (whatever their other weaknesses).
The provision of Medicare and Medicaid only mitigates a unethical system of provision which isn't on the whole accepted in other developed countries. Afterall, the US military services provide free healthcare to their personnel even after they retire from service. This is deemed acceptable even though it is sustained by government money - shock horror.
