Most of those complaints seem to be specific to your individual situation, rather than features of universal health care systems. I would argue that experiencin

Most of those complaints seem to be specific to your individual situation, rather than features of universal health care systems. I would argue that experiencing universal healthcare isn't that unique (Most developed countries) - what's unique is the specific (US Military) system you've experienced. Employer knowing your medical situation? State-run healthcare keeps your employer out of healthcare completely. Crappy doctors? Outcomes vary across countries and by treatment, but I think it's hard to argue that US outcomes are in general better than the average socialised system. Choice of doctor? There's no reason private insurance can't co-exist with socialised healthcare. We have private healthcare in the UK (which is, I believe, kept to a reasonable price / practice by having to compete with the NHS). Furthermore, you do have some choice of your doctor in the NHS. If I want to see a doctor, I can choose where I make the appointment. Nobody is compelling me to see a particular doctor. For more serious issues, requiring complex treatments the choices do narrow. But this seems right to me - If I'm seriously sick, I want to rely on the expertise of a specialist. Even then, nobody is compelling me to have any particular treatment and I always have pretty much the same choice a US patient does - to go private. Long waiting times? Perhaps, but it's pretty horrific to argue that this is worth the pain and suffering caused by shutting a significant portion of society out of the healthcare system.