You’re mistaken about what the European systems have in common. It’s not being “socialized,” and it’s certainly not “free at service.” France, for example, requires 30% co-insurance, and most people get private insurance to cover that. Obamacare is structurally very similar to the Dutch and Swiss healthcare systems.
What the European systems have in common is price controls. The major difference between the Dutch and Swiss systems and Obamacare is that the Dutch and Swiss systems directly regulate the price of services.
Very useful comment, thanks. I’ll need to read up a Wikipedia article to get the details but the emphasis on price controls is noteworthy.
Besides my lazy and misleading usage of the term “socialized,” I guess the question still stands: how do we change our system to more closely reflect these other systems? Highly discouraging to think about.
We have two or three systems that already work more like this, for the elderly, the poor, and the military. To me it seems the easiest way would be to gradually improve and expand one or all three. This can be done with minimal fear from the general public because you aren't ending the previous system so much as building a better alternative. I don't follow any of this closely, but I know there is a bill to expand coverage for the poor and elderly to include vision and dental. As for price controls, the recent Inflation Reduction Act allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices like European systems.
What the European systems have in common is price controls. The major difference between the Dutch and Swiss systems and Obamacare is that the Dutch and Swiss systems directly regulate the price of services.