If universal health coverage is so bad, why has no Western European nation got rid of it?

New Zealand is working on getting rid of it, I understand it is not in western europe

Overall it is a hard process, rarely does government voluntarily reduce its span of influence.

Sort of like why many in the UK want out of the EU, got representatives in based on that platform for a referendum, but none was presented.
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because the usa defense budget takes care of their security threats
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Because it’s implemented at the state level. If universal health care was ran by the EU it would be a disaster. It’s even worse for the Feds because we have much more diversity in our country than the EU has.
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Judging a book by its cover?

Obama’s health care reform is the right problem, but the wrong solution.
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FACT - America is not a Western European country. If those chaps are fine with Socialism, then that’s there decision, but 0bama has NO RIGHT trying to shove it down the American people’s throats. The rest of the world operates on the metric system, I suppose you want us to convert to that too? Judas…
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The rest of the world operates on the metric system, I suppose you want us to convert to that too? Judas…

FACT - most of the UK wants to get rid of it because it’s bankrupted them, but Parliament, which is just a foolishly liberal as this government is, won’t do it.

FACT - I notice you didn’t mention that one.

FACT - Obama only got 52% of the vote. Hardly a mandate.

FACT - Universal healthcare kills.

FACT - There is no way we are going to let it pass with either the "public option" or the "coop option."
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And why is Australia expanding it? Cons dont like facts

First answerer - no New Zealand is not getting rid of it. I dont know where you cons pull these stories from.
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A member of the British Parliament said that the health care system in the UK began during WW II out of necessity. It now employees 1.3 million people just to administer it. It is the 3rd largest employer in the world. That is why they are stuck with it even though they would like to get rid of it.
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Because when a government ran system is implemented there is no longer a private equivalent available. That is one of the main reasons people are fighting this so hard.

Once we go down that road we can’t turn back. After forcing private insurers to close shop, we will be stuck with a tax based system no matter how poorly it works. It would take years and people willing to risk billions of investment dollars to rebuild the industry.
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FACT: A little boy with an ear infection waited 3 years under Canada’s socialized health care to see a doctor, and he finally was taken to Colorado just in time to save his life. The damage done by the infection is irreversible. This is not an isolated incident.

FACT: In Ireland (I have friends there), the average wait time in the Emergency Room is 5 hours.

FACT: Obama’s health care bills are *FULL* of pork.

FACT: more than half of all health care workers and hospitals are dead-set against Obama’s health care progromme.

FACT: Obamacare would dictate who can be a doctor, how much doctors can be paid, what field a doctor can go into, what a doctor can own and what procedures a doctor must perform, regardless of conscientious objection

And, in answer to your question, government programs are easy to start and nearly impossible to do away with, both for the same reason — special interest bribes.
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Nice rant. I don’t see any facts listed here, try again.
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We are not the Netherlands or Switzerland. Europeans (in general) live far healthier lifestyles. They eat better, exercise regularly, use fewer drugs, and have more vacation time which can lead to less stress. They also have a slightly lower birth-rate, fewer people driving (less accidents), and stricter gun laws (less violent crime). They are healthier, and need the system less. But they still pay loads more in taxes to support it.

And that being said, there are stiiill problems with their system and those who can afford it often come to the US for quality and efficiency.
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You have stated a excellent case, and I have no argument against it.

Contrary to some of the misinformed answers you have gotten, they keep it because it works.
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The western Europeans are getting rid of the social welfare state, just not in the way you think. They are committing demographic suicide. Drawn by the benefits of the social welfare state people from the Middle East and Africa are moving in, and having babies.
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Once it is firmly in place the insurance companies will disappear, Medicine will attract fewer future doctors nurses, etc., the infrastructure of tens of thousands of employees, officials, agencies, etc. Very hard to get rid of.
Many nations that have it are trying to get rid of it because it doesn’t work! What, in the recent history of our govenment, makes you believe they have the power to avoid the corruption every other government program develops?
I note that all your "facts" come from leftist, and left leaning groups?
Is our present health care/insurance system corrupt? Sure, no arguments. I just don’t see how our "Super Corrupt" governments present health care bills will "Fix" it.
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Not all of Europe has universal health care. 80% of France has private health insurance.

The universal health care in Europe will eventually collapse as it is just a ponzi scheme since the number od people needing care will be increasing while the number of people paying for it is decreasing.
http://acuf.org/issues/issue127/090302gov.asp
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They’ll put up crap about how Governments don’t want to get rid of their power.
UHC DOES work. Maybe a Corporate Monopoly that takes up skim pricing will show them.
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@goodluckwithhat

The NHS is recognised as one of the most cost effective health systems in the world, especially when compared to the current US System which is the most expensive in the world.

The vast majority of the British public support the NHS, and there is political consensus with regard to the NHS, as any attempt to do away with the NHS would be political suicide.

UNISON has recently responded to some of the blatant inaccuracies spread by some American sources regarding Britain’s NHS and NICE.

http://www.unison.org.uk/file/US_factsheet.pdf

Cancer Research UK respond to some of the blatant inaccuracies spread by some American sources regarding US/UK Cancer Statistics,

http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2009/08/17/we-need-to-be-careful-when-comparing-us-and-uk-cancer-care/

Professor Darzi, Chair of surgery at Imperial College London has recently written an article in the Washington Post in defence of Britain’s National Health Service.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/08/16/ST2009081602108.html
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Cause there would be a revolution.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=67418399248687920#
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