Inspired by Bob Herbert's NY Times column I just did some simple math that might help with the affordability perception. We currently spend ~17% of GDP on health care, a percentage that is increasing every year. That is approximately $650 per month per person. Canada spends less than 11%. So lets say we want shorter wait times for some procedures, so we're willing to spend 12% of GDP. That's about $470/month/person.
While each province has its own variations, generally speaking Canada pays for its health care system out of general revenues, so there are no premiums, no co-pays, no deductibles. This leads to minimal billing and paperwork for providers, greatly reducing the cost of care.
What level of care do Canadians get? I've had several friends & relatives that received long-term treatment for brain tumors. A cousin's wife had an extremely rare skin disease (only a few cases world-wide). She was able to get treatment for it in Toronto, with her lodging costs covered while she was there. My aunt had a hip replacement. Her son has been treated for Parkinson's for many years. Her husband had a private ob/gyn practice, and their family of 6 lived very comfortably in suburban Montréal. They certainly weren't suffering.
My mother also had Parkinson's. She was able to receive treatment at her suburban Montréal home with a live-in care-giver and weekly nurse visits. When that was no longer feasible, she was moved to a private room in a very nice nearby full-time care facility. She did have to surrender her pension, minus a stipend. But she didn't have any out-of-pocket expenses and the family didn't have to go broke paying for her care.
My brother, who has mental problems and is not employable, is provided full mental health care plus a private room & meals in a downtown Montréal group home. My sister is an OT in a Montréal hospital, with very good pay and benefits.
My wife and I have both had treatment in Canadian ER's, and found them to be much cheaper than American equivalents while providing the same level of care. We've never heard any complaints from anybody about their quality of care.
The argument should be framed that a modest increase in taxes could provide all of us with full care from our favorite providers, while eliminating premiums, co-pays, deductibles, denial of coverage, denial of care, life-time caps, etc. Most Americans should be able to understand such a benefit. It won't make the insurance corporations happy, but they are not in the business of creating a healthier society. Their sole mission is to maximize profits for their shareholders.