I used to head up a government body that provided the healthcare budget (NHS) to an area of England. Fairly big money by any standards, (£0.6 billion) and came out at £1,740.00 per year per person, putting it in crude population share terms. (2006/7 the final year with me chairing it.)

We too have corporate interests, mainly the same pharma conglomerates as the USA, decrying the status quo. However, without any "my system beats yours" intention, that amount did and does allow for good healthcare, excellent clinical outcomes and by WHO statistics, comparable to any other model of care, even allowing for our single public health system showing the real picture, whereas in many countries, a lot of people's ailments do not reach health statistics..

So how do they do it?

I mention this purely as a debating point, but stand by it. The more affluent are not "over doctored" and the less well off can present earlier due to not having to consider the cost. it balances nicely. Sure, if you are rich you can go private but in recent years, the adverts for private care are getting more desperate because The NHS can and does deliver. I can afford private but when I needed a minor operation last year, I presented at my GP, was seen by the local NHS consultant two weeks later and booked in for a day case operation the following month. (Unless an emergency, I would not have been able to clear my diary before then anyway!)

My wife is a consultant surgeon and to be frank, does not do private work as there is not much call for it, and she operates on cancers, (oncoplastic breast surgeon.)

That said, I was sent to The USA to look at some primary care models used by Kaiser Permanante and EverCare. I liked a hell of a lot of what I saw...