We can't be too surprised at the comments that we're getting from Yanks, FSM and others. The political Right in this nation has steadfastly opposed pretty much every new government-proposed health insurance program and health care system reform proposal to come down the pike since the Second World War. I've heard some Righties even complain that funding for children's health and immunization programs and services in lower-income communities constitute handouts and welfare and should be viewed with suspicion and skepticism.
They were saying many of the same things about Medicare and Medicaid almost half a century ago that they're currently saying about the Affordable Care Act, only back then the Republicans were a lot less likely to attack Lyndon Johnson's place of birth, very citizenship or even personal religious beliefs and shut down the federal government to try to stop the programs. The conservative Right has always been skeptical of if not downright hostile to such proposals and programs, but only in recent years have they become bat-guano insane about destroying them at all costs, even they take the economy and even the country down with them.
Well, you can look at the "successfulness" of Medicare and chose for yourself. The fact is, many stores (Walgreens) and hospitals won;t take Medicare because it doesn't pay enough to make ends meet.
Medicaid is a result of government being involved in Healthcare from the start.
If you like that it's fine, but the free market, if allowed to be free, will lower cost and make insurance affordable to all.
Oh, but the free market reduces government power and control.... can't have that now can we?