The US healthcare system being ran almost exclusively by private businesses is supposed to be the most efficient one. Albeit, fixing something basic, like appendicitis, would cost in Europe much less and could be done much quicker because in US you'd have to undergo all sorts of preliminary examination constituting a good share of the final bill. Yet numerous studies put american health care system somewhere in the second dozen while countries with significant state control or even participation are topping the list. The situation is quite bizarre and probably the only example when the stronger state regulation resulted in a better services. The most obvious solution pushed by american socialists (democratic ones) is to reform american healthcare after the european pattern. Sounds logical but I bet it won't work. The high cost of the american medical services is induced by legal practice putting heavy financial pressure on the medical institutions in cases when treatment was not successful. Hence all sorts of costly preliminary examinations are performed to protect the doctors. So if US will try to mimic european healthcare system we'll get even more expensive and clumsy creature. it really depends - there are clinics in the US where you can do it cheaper than in europe