Being a US citizen doesn't mean that you can just waltz into Europe. Like other commenters said, you usually need to be a citizen or at least some sort of perm

Being a US citizen doesn't mean that you can just waltz into Europe. Like other commenters said, you usually need to be a citizen or at least some sort of permanent resident to take advantage of European healthcare. Obtaining such status usually takes years and is only possible for the young and highly employable. Packing up and moving is simply not an option for those who cannot afford to pay for healthcare in the US in the first place, and oftentimes logistics like family, employment, and language would prevent that anyway.