i don't think the system ever properly worked. I suspect that it appeared to work because money was being flushed down the drain to sustain the unsustainable. Our healthcare system is about doctors cranking as many people through per hour as possible to maximize billing and getting as many testing referals as possible to maximize billing rather than being about preventative care.
If we had a real public healthcare system, it would begin with the foods people eat and the lifestyles they lead. It would not wait for people to become sick so doctors can pump out tests and meds to maximize profits for those involved.
Crap, studies show what junk food, dairy, etc do to one's health, yet the government lets them pump their poisons for the tax profits. I just do not accept our restrictive, reactionary healthcare system. I am glad to pay for private care, because i would not count on the public system to be good for much more than stiching a cut or setting a broken bone. (should i mention i think doctors are nit-wits. sheesh, look at the studies that are available on the error levels of these "professionals" )