By Cláudia Ascensão Nunes

American progressives continue to advocate for a Medicare for All system, pointing to the Old Continent as a utopian model of universal access to health care. However, in Europe, systems in which the state functions as both direct provider and single-payer monopolist continue to fail.

Contrary to the narrative pushed by certain political circles, Europeans are increasingly adopting private health insurance. The structural flaws in countries that double down on centralized, state-run models show notable consistencies: swelling waiting lists, health care professionals fleeing a public sector constrained by rigid salary scales, and a systemic inability to allocate resources where they are needed most.

In the United Kingdom, whose famous National Health Service (NHS) served as the inspiration for public systems across Europe, roughly 71% of adults now say they would consider using private health care. Meanwhile, more than half of adults aged 35 to 44 expect to do so within the next year, a direct result of record-breaking waiting lists. In England, there are about 7 million people waiting for hospital treatment. The statutory promise of treatment within 18 weeks has failed consistently since 2016, and more than a third of emergency room patients wait more than four hours, a delay linked to estimates of over 1,300........

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