rmi, you need to think more logically about this.
Canada spends much less per capita than USA does. That's the direct reason for long wait times. Here, health care is done on a provincial level and there have been referendums for increasing the budget before which have failed. Outside the long wait times, there's literally no other benefit to having an American system. Here in Canada I can go and pay for my health care needs in a private clinic if I want to. Nobody's stopping me. However I have the choice to wait and be treated in a public facility and no charge to me.
And no, we don't pay higher taxes. I thought we already discussed that. Middle class Canadians make more money (after tax) than their American counterparts and we have more equity on average than Americans. Sales taxes are roughly the same. For example here in Alberta I only pay 5% which is negligible.
Canada's middle class richest in study of big nations - The Globe and Mail
Also:
The stats don't lie. The US is a great country, but it was much better in the old days. Since 2000, it's become an awful place for the middle class. In the past decade the country has had a 0.3% growth in incomes to our 20%!!! To claim that services in the US are better is insanity.
As I said, we HAVE THE OPTION to go to a private clinic and buy insurance in the open market should we choose it. That's what your politicians don't tell you. Anyone who doesn't want to wait, doesn't have to.
USA ranks behind Costa Rica by the World Health Organization. Why are you being so stubborn on this issue? I thought you were a man of facts?
I'm not trying to be an arse here, but it's clear as daylight. Say you're in Canada. You can have the exact same coverage you have in USA, should you wish it. I can buy insurance in the open market (the exact same one you have probably) right this second. The VAST MAJORITY of people don't and rather keep their public option. Life expectancy is higher here in Canada and we spend less per capita than you guys, even though we run a universal system.
The only reason wait times are so long here is our lack of spending. If we spent the same amount, we'd score much higher and probably be in the top 10 in the world.