"For Canada, private health care would take a tremendous load off taxpayers."
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"1..5 million declared bankruptcy in 2010 because of medical bills. That is .5% of Americans. The editors were desperate to make a point."
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With respect, 0.5% bankruptcies/year is huge.  They have dependents, spouses, siblings, parents, creditors ...  Any bankruptcy affects at least 10 people or entities.  Over the long term that is unsustainable.  It isn't 1.5 m people.  It is, effectively, 1.5 m households.
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No, it wouldn't take an enormous load off tax-payers.
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That is the whole point.
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Health care is a problem of market failure and gross inequality of bargaining power.  It is a classic collective action problem, where government is needed.
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US pays 17% of GDP.  Canada pays 10% of GDP, gets better overall results.
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The savings is roughly C$ 4000 or US $ 3000 for every man, woman, and child in the country.  Single payer public health care would yield the biggest "tax cut" in American history.