[kalleboo]

As a European who lives in Japan now, the regulated-private system also has a lot of pitfalls. Costs are regulated, so hospitals will drag out procedures over more visits than are required to milk extra money out of the public insurance to game the system (they're professional enough not to avoid important stuff, but it's especially pronounced in stuff like dental care where stuff can wait). I still prefer it over the completely fucked-up US system, but it has both advantages and downsides compared to the European systems that deserve to be debated.

I wouldn't say any country has healthcare "solved", but I don't know how anyone can look at the US system and say that it's a good situation for a developed country.

[brightshiny]

Yes, healthcare is "as long as a piece of string" in so many ways that I don't think it's a solvable problem, but definitely could do with a better level of debate than the sacred cow of the NHS vs the straw man of the US system.

I'm possibly moving to Japan soon, so I guess I'll get a better comparison soon enough.