|One advantage the U.S. has is that people can go to any doctor that they want to, provided that they have the money

In the UK we currently have a mix and match system of medical care. You can use the NHS for anything you want to and supplement it with Private medical care to get what you want and then jump back to NHS lines.

So whilst I agree that this is an advantage, you can get both benefits and neither issue that way. I think a mix of Private-Public healthcare is the best approach to any system; it allows freedom from being locked into certain medical treatments and it doesn't bankrupt you from medical bills.

You're bang on about people going to the doctor about nothing though, I spent a day with a Nurse in a local surgery for experience and quite a few of the cases were people complaining about nothing at all. Lot of genuine cases too though, I'd rather that risk than someone losing out on healthcare. When I was in the US with my family we saw a minor accident and my Dad immediately went to call 911 to get an ambulance and was urged not to by everyone involved. It was so surreal from our culture that someone had a broken arm and went "I'll sort it out at home" rather than go into hospital for it. It's been weird growing up and having to decide "Is this worth an ambulance" but it'd be so much worse if I had to think "Can I afford an ambulance" on top of that.