If you want a more precise description of why I’m saying the U.S. healthcare system, despite being the most expensive in the world, is far from the best, I suggest you look at this well-known paper from Barbara Starfield, the highlights of which are well-described here. The upshot is that, just as I suggested, unnecessary medical interventions are one of the leading causes (third leading cause) of death in the U.S. This would suggest that the problem is NOT just that many people don’t have access to healthcare. The problem is, as I said, that all the incentives are screwed up in our system. Doctors have every incentive to overdo it with procedures and drugs.

If you’re arguing that a single-payer system is going to be more expensive, then my question is why OUR system is the most expensive per capita in the world?

As far as why a libertarian system would not work here at this point, maybe you’re right, but I’m curious why you think that. You are suggesting that the way to fix healthcare is to tinker with our existing system, but I guess it’s hard to evaluate that without more meat on those bones. The tinkering we’ve been doing so far doesn’t seem to be helping.