The original report is better. This report is really about saying "the US system could be a lot better" rather than an overall ranking of healthcare.

The way it's being used here, to say the NHS is wonderful, doesn't work very well in my opinion.

From my friends' stories, Japan healthcare experiences were pretty bad:

1. Extremely long lines in small rooms, so people cram together to get a better chance of coughing on each other.

2. For any illness doctors listen to you and prescribe exactly three drugs: antibiotic, pain reducer, and "something for stomach". For any symptoms.

3. There is no "sick leave" thing, so if you're sick -- you are absent.

4. Because of #3, people always come to work being acutely sick (so if it's flu, they cough on each other, obviously).

Although labor traditions are the horror story of its own, no one worked there recommens to ever do that (just youtube for "working in japan").

I mean, I guess I could also provide counter anicdotes (such as it taking 1 week to get adequate medication for a chronic condition in Japan, which in 15 years I'd been unable to obtain in the U.K.).

But I'm not sure it would be helpful. Instead maybe the WHO World Health Care report ranking is a useful datapoint?

http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html

I work in Japan, actually. I have sick days, never waited more than about 15 min at the hospital (without an appointment!), and the care was excellent. YMMV - I recon sick days are indeed unusual.