The unique thing about the US healthcare system is that care is directly proportional to how much money you can spend on it. So as a top spender, yes the care is great. Though realistically we should look at the system as a whole for all people it "covers". Looking at infant mortality rate, life expectancy, etc, for the average person, the picture is bleak; the US is shockingly bad.

Exactly. The data tells the story, and the results data of healthcare in America is abysmal. I used to workout at a gym that was near a major hospital. I will never forget a conversation I overheard between two doctors in the steam room many, many years ago where they were talking about this issue and the one doctor quipped to the other "the United States has the best healthcare nobody can afford."

Sorry, but as an outsider from one of those other countries you mention, I don't get what you mean by top notch? Top notch for whom? The people who can afford to pay out of pocket? Or those willing to do into debt to just get treatment? Whenever I see news from places like PBS News Hour, it's about some low wage or senior person struggling to just care for their medical needs or prescriptions.

I don't know my guy, your system isn't exactly top notch for most people - I don't think you need to look very hard to see that if you try.

Random examples:

- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/OECD_hea... - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Life_exp...

There's something very very wrong here when your paying that much per capita and a lot of people are still struggling.

Having insurance in the US doesn't mean anything, as the insurance itself does not provide any health care.

In fact they actively try to provide as little care as possible. It's a negative signal, not a positive one as you seem to think.

> The services are top notch

Healthcare is a plethora of services, ranging from something as simple as a blood draw to open-heart surgery. I can tell you from experience that many diagnostic services are definitely NOT top notch, and the service of getting billed after is an absolute nightmare.

Examine your priors.

New International Study: U.S. Health System Fails Many Americans; Ranks Lowest on Health Equity, Access, and Outcomes https://www.commonwealthfund.org/press-release/2024/new-inte...

> months long wait for procedures

The demand for healthcare procedures is unlimited.

Instead queues are used to limit access to expensive procedures, because waiting lists are the only solution that is palatable to voters.

Although in theory queues shouldn't actually reduce total costs (just delay the costs?)