Why is the Canadian healthcare system universally praised by its citizens, and how can we use this proven working example to improve healthcare in the USA?

The Canadian style model  was proposed during the whole healthcare debate.  It was called "the single payer model".  It didn't really did not get serious debate, largely because a it is a "big government program" and  was politically not sellable.  What was implemented, the so called Obamacare, was supposed to be a compromise between the single payer, universal coverage model and the status quo. The vested interests (insurance companies) really lined up against  the single payer model, scared people into thinking healthcare would be rationed or death panels would be set up by the government to decide whether or not your sick Grandma would get medical treatment.  The fact it works in Canada and Europe was not given a lot of consideration because a lot of Americans don't trust foreigners. Socialism may be implemented in other countries but not the USA. So the idea is now politically dead in America. This edit is reply to Terrance Munro.  His experience with the Canadian healthcare system is different than mine. 2 - 4 months to see a GP for a regular checkup?  Sorry no.  2 weeks at most.  Seeing a cancer specialist for 12 - 18 months?? No again a month tops.  This comes from someone who recently had a close family member diagnosed with terminal cancer. Doctor and nurse shortage?  Again I've heard of some people having difficulty getting a family doctor, but I haven't had much trouble myself. I've lived in Canada my whole life.  I don't know how long Mr. Munro as or what region he lives in.  I live in Southern Ontario for the record. Abuse of the system?  Yes I've heard of but it a overt stated problem.

It is not universally praised in Canada. It has flaws like any system. But given a choice between having health care, and not, people generally choose having health care. So I guess it is understandable why people might not want to criticize those shortcomings, under the circumstances..

Because it's socialized medicine, and everyone has access to healthcare much unlike the US. And you'll never see such a thing here in the US. It's too political and nobody gives a sh-— about who has access to medical care and medicine as long as it's not them who is suffering. It's a form of social welfare. The republicans would lose their minds, and it would never get passed because we're too busy spending money on war and pillowing other failing social programs like social security. Have you ever spoken to someone who has attempted to get disability here? It's almost impossible, especially for patients with mental illness. The government is already too far in debt, too dysfunctional because of bipartisanism and the public's selfish attitudes (ask people what they think about welfare programs)— if they're not on them/don't need them, chances are, they have some bitter remark. The problem is, you've to have a nation of people that care about people in general. That's the idea for socialized anything is the greater good of everyone. In the US it's about me, me and me. And eff the next guy he can handle himself he's not my problem. It's just... you'll never see it happen. It will be fought against with intense passion. The rich people will have to give up some of their millions or billions of dollars... who do you think they are? Do they look like philanthropists? Do you think they got rich by giving their money away? That's the attitude. The sad truth. What works for Canada doesn't work for the US because they're not the same animal. Has Canada been directly involved in war for the past decade+? IMO, the US is about to be a dangerous place to be in the coming years because the financial structure that keeps the country going is about to collapse and people are going to lose everything just about. It's not something I am willing to type up here but the way things are set up, it's in a position where things are on the verge of financial catastrophe that's going to affect everyone. It's concerning. But most people don't even have a clue to any of it. They're too busy shopping or working or dealing with their lives, I don't know if it's lack of care or lack of ability, but knowing or not knowing is not going to matter, as these are problems WAY beyond the scope of citizens. These are monolithic conglomerations that do their best to cover this up. It's not going to be obvious to people who aren't actively paying attention to that kind of thing. So if you like the idea of socialized health care, pack it up and head to Canada if you ever want to see that in your lifetime! "The U.S. consistently leads the developed world in health care spending in terms of overall share of its GDP, yet trails significantly in efficiency. Studies of OECD nations regularly show that the U.S. spends more than 17 percent of its annual GDP on health care costs, over 8 points more than the group's average. According to one 2013 study, the U.S. trailed only Switzerland in health care spending per capita. Yet, while Switzerland scored among the top-10 health care systems in terms of efficiency, the U.S. ranked 46th of the 48 nations examined." — Massive fail.

Excuse me while I refrain from throwing up. Yes, the sources used to support how this question is framed are first rate. However, from a Canadian perspective, I could find reports, from PhDs, that would quickly refute the above information. Go to the Fraser Institute on Public Policy and read the truth by a think tank that is not slanted to one ideology because of money. Canada does not have a world class healthcare system. It is underfunded, and only covers about 70% of the needs of Canadians based upon expenditures. The level of coverage varies from province to province, and you have incredible lead-times for many routine procedures. It could take years for many routine surgeries.   If you really want to know about Canadian healthcare, go read the Romonow Report, it's online and 392 pages long. I use this report when I teach about healthcare policy in Canada. Our system is not that good. You want a good healthcare system? Go to Australia.   Regarding the sources used to ask this question? Cherry picking occurs frequently, and this is a prime example. Ask most Canadians anything on healthcare, and use the US as a model, and Canadians become more Canadian and let nationalism color their answers.   I had a knee procedure done a couple of years ago. Here is the timeline: I went to my doctor--he sent me to specialist--5 month wait. Specialist ordered an MRI--8 month wait. Go back to specialist--you need a minor procedure--5 month wait. 18 months for a minor knee surgery. This normal in Canada.   The US system is flawed. So is the Canadian system, as it is not financially viable under the present system. The funding agreement between the provinces and the Government of Canada is predicated upon holding healthcare inflation to 3% per year, just as the baby boomers hit 65.

No Canadian has ever had to come to Quora with this type of question:

These discussion about Canadian healthcare tend to focus on how wonderful it is. I suspect that is because the vast majority of those commenting on it have never actually experienced it. They take their information from charts, lore, or Michael Moore. As one who has experienced the Canadian healthcare system I can state that while it has its strengths it also has its share of weaknesses. -Within a one payer system one problem is that in all cases funding is limited, it doesn't matter how big your economy is only so much of the budget can be devoted to one area. - It relies on a one size fits all, and like any government program that guarantees "equality" to all the, standards are lowered, never raised. So to ensure equality, private healthcare for pay is not allowed except for the most minor procedures (corrective eye surgery, MRI's, etc). this is to appease the masses and ensure them that money can not buy better healthcare, everyone receives the same basic treatment. - Waits tend to be long.... Want to make an appointment to see your GP for an annual check up, 2-4 months generally. Something minor, 2-4 weeks depending on your doctor. Emergency room waits in some provinces have been clocked at over 24 hours with people lying on gurneys in hallways for days. Specialist can not be seen without a referral, so first you wait to see your GP (2-4 months), then he refers you to a specialist and you wait again. As an example, having to see a specialist such as a allergist can take 12-18 months from start to finish. Not so bad for allergies, but a cancer specialist can also take months on end to see. - Doctors  and nurses can be in very short supply. In fact, many upon completing their training pack up and move to the United States where the pay is better. Many US hospitals seek out Canadian doctors, In fact I have known quite a few that have made the move. Part of the problem with a one payer system that does not allow for private initiative, doctors get a set fee. This also has another ramification, all doctors get paid the same fee for a particular service, so to make any money they rely on volume, attempting to pass as many patients through their doors in the shortest time possible. Whats key to remember is that the Canadian single payer system does not pay for a doctors operating costs and overhead, they simply pay them a set fee for "visits", that varies on the nature of the visit or procedure. So how would an auto mechanic like to have the government dictate his rates based on their trying to work within a limited federal or state budget, or an accountant, or a landscaper.... get my point. - Most provincial budgets devote the lions share of their revenue to healthcare, sometimes approaching 50%. This leaves a lot less to get the actual business of government accomplished. Sadly it still does not provide a "high" level of healthcare (see above). - The system tends to get abused and overused. Waiting rooms are full of cases of common colds and hangnails. Why? It's "free"! What is really needed is something that utilizes the strengths of both systems , Canada and the US.