[pushtheenvelope]

the Indian example you cite is correct, but only works well for the middle and upper classes who can afford to pay for the care (for now, see below).

For the majority of lower-middle and poor class, medical care is hard to obtain because they cannot afford the private care, and the government-run hospitals that offer low-cost care suffer from bad service, and inadequate facilities/medicine.

India is well on its way to emulating the American medical system:

(1) medical costs have been rising at a rate of 15-25% a year (where inflation has been 5-10%). This is okay for now, but in about 2 decades will price out even the affluent classes.

(2) Health insurance is being touted by the Indian government as a solution to this -- which is the first step to going down towards the American model of healthcare. India also has poor safeguards against crony capitalism so I expect large insurance companies to capture the regulatory framework to frame rules in their benefit.