"The National Health System in the United Kingdom, for example, covers everything from routine screenings to long-term care to end-of-life care. In Australia, there is a universally available public healthcare option and a private healthcare system. But all residents in both countries have insurance, as do residents in other countries across Europe.

"Jonathan Oberlander, a professor of social medicine at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, argues that advocates of the system in the U.S. typically point to the Canadian system as a good model, "where all legal residents in each province or territory receive coverage from one government insurance plan for medically necessary hospital and physician services." 

"You can buy supplemental insurance if you wish, but there's a minimum, fairly comprehensive plan for everyone. This is similar to Medicare, but covers an even larger percentage of the costs than Medicare does for American seniors.

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