[M. Dodge Thomas]

The major problems of providing health care in advanced economies have little to do with most of the issues that divide “liberals” and “conservatives” in the US; in particular arguments about public and private provision have little to do with the factors affecting actual outcomes.

These problems are endemic to the healthcare systems of all advanced economies, including those that have dual private and public systems, and participants in all such system report high levels of dissatisfaction, though Americans report themselves as the least satisfied. (1)

Providers in all such systems are unhappy with their roles. According to one recent survey, around 60 percent of US doctors have considered leaving the practice of medicine because they're discouraged over the state of U.S. health care today. The top 5 factors contributing to low morale were identified by the survey respondents as: low reimbursement, loss of autonomy, bureaucratic red tape, patient overload and loss of respect. (2)

The health case systems of most advanced countries are heavily dependent on foreign trained personnel. The US heath care system is most heavily dependent on foreign-trained doctors for care in poor and rural areas. The states with the highest rate of such doctors practicing in rural, under served areas were Florida and West Virginia (45 percent), North Dakota (40 percent), and Illinois (39 percent). States with more than 20 percent international medical graduates in rural areas were New York, Kansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina and Texas. (3)

One good source for objective international comparisons between systems is here:

http://www.pnrec.org/2001papers/DaigneaultLajoie.pdf

(1) http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,136990,00.html

(2) http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-30-2006/0004461969&EDATE=

(3) http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/nov98/busse11.htm

[maica]

These problems are endemic to the healthcare systems of all advanced economies, including those that have dual private and public systems, and participants in all such system report high levels of dissatisfaction, though Americans report themselves as the least satisfied. (1)

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I read this sentence as a reflection of media message control.
Most Canadians will defend their system, until they need to come to the States to get some treatment.
Most Brits are aware of the long waiting lists, but accept it as inevitable.
Dissatisfied Americans believe that many (other) people are denied treatment, but do not experience any denial of treatment in their own lives.