My wife is an Aussie and they have a Pub/Private system. Basically you are required to purchase health insurance, either from a private party or from the government. Basically you can hunt for private insurance and then the government insurance fills in the rest.
If she were here she’d explain that better.
Anyway, she thinks our system is odd, but at the same time it works. We’ve paid more out of pocket for her pregnancy then her cousin’s are in Aussieland but she’s had about 4 times the tests and sonograms than she would get down under. (Again just compairing between cousin’s pregnancy and hers.) She’s also confused by our insurance billing system, but I said everyone is so it’s okay. 
Seriously though, they’ve got some odd problems with their system, as do we. Personally I don’t think America can do social medicine “right.” Because we haven’t done any government program “right.” They’re problems with ALL of our government programs, why are we adding another one?
