denmark, germany and france have lower healthcare cost percapita and better outcomes (based on life expectancy) then the US. in fact we have the worst bang for our buck of any industrialized nation.
Denmark - 5.5M people, single gene pool
Germany - 81M people
France - 65M USA - 311M I can't find the cite right now, but I know that in the last 10 years we've more than doubled public/private spend on medical research, that's a 7%/year increase. And in 2000 I think the US was spending more on medical research than the next 15 countries combined. So, I would, as usual, suggest two things. One - what works for small countries and companies does not always (or even often) work for large ones. Two - There is significant "free ridership" in the global healthcare market. Finally, ask yourself one simple question: if you get really really really sick with something serious you get on your G5 and fly to..... where? _XC PS - Not saying we are perfect, but baby/bathwater and all that.
It seems the me much of the private spend in centered in replacing drugs that treat chronic illness before they reach public domain. (not exactly a public good). solution to the "large country problem" -> federalism. 311 / 50 = 6.2 million well within reach. solution to the "heterogeneity problem" -> white folks need to stop pretending that being white is a genetically meaningful thing. (Seriously is there genetically meaningful way to include Italians, Greeks, Poles and the Irish in one group and exclude Mexicans, Jews and North Africans from that group? ) for your last question Canada is the answer and I would drive.
unless it could be cured pharmacologically in which case I would head south.