I'm not downvoting you, because I assume uour comment was in good faith. The phrase "death panels" though is unfortunate. Nobody has death panels, nobody wants

I'm not downvoting you, because I assume uour comment was in good faith. The phrase "death panels" though is unfortunate. Nobody has death panels, nobody wants death panels, no health system anywhere private or public has death panels. It's just a scary phrase used in a political context. Ultimately all health systems make choices at every level of care. Triage is a thing. Organ recipient lists are a thing. Hospital occupancy, and theatre usage are things. In a perfect world we'd all get perfect medical care the instant we needed it. There'd be scores of doctors sitting around doing nothing just waiting for my call. There'd be an endless supply of organs, replacement parts, hospital beds, theatres and surgeons. We don't live in that world. Hence our systems have imperfections. Not everyone gets an optimal outcome. There are no "death panels". There doesn't need to be. Limitations and resource constraints force decisions at all levels every day. Now personally I think a well managed public health system us the most equitable. Failing that private insurance has a role to play in combination either public health. Employer paid health insurance has grouping advantages, but also means you lose your income and health at the same time. Steps for affordable personal health insurance are good. There's some way to go yet, but its a step in the right direction. Having at least some part of the health system be available to the uninsured (ie non-profit) would also be beneficial. So yeah, the US system, as it is, is great for those who can pay, terrible for everyone else. It favours the few with good jobs, and secure tenure. If you're in that group, well done. Other countries with national health have their own resource constraints. Not all individual outcomes are optional. And being rich doesn't necessarily jump you to the front of the queue. There are good outcomes, and bad outcomes, but they don't align to wealth or status (in theory.) In the US its hard to change the status quo because the country is governed by the rich, paid for by the richer. The system currently favors the rich. QED.