Goharley,
The people of many european nations are taxed beyond beleive to pay for the socialized society they live in. A large portion of the population is at or below poverty. The employer wont even give jobs to the young because of the fact that you cant get rid of them once their foot is in the door. Hense the uneployment rate and the roits that have been happening year after year because the young cant get work. Their economies are stagnet and yes so is ours at the moment but our growth far outreaches any of the socialized societies besides maybe China which is a hole other discussion.
For-profit health care as you call it is what gets the best and brightest Dr's into the system and what creates the great advances that keep people from getting sick. No one in the health care system wants anyone to become "gravely ill" to make an increased profit. That is just sick and a sad oppinion of Dr's in general. Likely the same type of thought process that keeps people sue happy in this country leading to higher malpracitce costs that gets past on to the patients in higher treatment costs so hard working Drs can afford to stay in practice. And there is no moral dificancy in giving your life work to helping people live longer better lives and trying to make a living at it. Like it or not we have the best health care system in the world with the most advances and the best treatment. If your so impressed with all the systems in europe and asia, fly over the next time you need a serious surgery and see if it is as good as the US if you make it back at all.