Unfortunately the debate usually isn't as black and white all the time given that there are a number of metrics like survival rates following heart attacks or cancer detection/treatment where the US is very much ahead of other first world nations.

Absolute cost is far from a strawman in this issue given that the basic argument for reform (as they've proposed - since I think a lot of people are for reform including Dean Kamen), is that the US healthcare system as it is now is too expensive and ergo a significant barrier to access. Others like Kamen make the point that by restricting absolute costs, innovation will drop because the incentives for innovating drop.