Once, again, Canada's system is not broke. Let's use an analogy.
Let's say you and your spouse are good friends with another couple. You tell your friend you and your spouse are going on a three day cruise. The cost is $1,000.00, all inclusive. You suggest your friend and his wife book the same cruise and you'll all have a great time. Your friend says, "I can't afford that!"
So, you and your spouse go on the cruise. You return and tell your friend you have some great pictures on your video camera and suggest getting together for dinner and viewing the short video. He suggests having dinner at his place and viewing the pictures on the new plasma TV he purchased while you were gone.
So, let's recap. He told you he couldn't afford a $1000 cruise but had the money for a $2000 plasma TV. Would you say he couldn't afford the cruise or he simply chose not to go?
That is how governments operate. They arbitrarily decide on what they're going to spend money and how much and if it's more they say they can't afford it. Of course, there are some things the government can not afford but to suggest a first world country can not afford to look after it's ill citizens is complete and utter rubbish.
As for the younger generation getting stuck with the bill that's another bogus argument. Here's why. Most baby boomers have done quite well for themselves, financially speaking. The economy had many more boom years than bust years during their lifetime. They have a decent nest egg and if illness strikes they have a good reserve plus they can afford an above average insurance plan so they don't want to pay into a universal system. And lastly, they enjoyed a universal system when they didn't have the money and were scraping along raising a family and building equity.
Now along comes the younger generation. After the cost of mortgage payments and raising kids coupled with poor employment opportunities and paying off the crisis brought on by the assorted financial crooks are they going to buy decent medical insurance? Considering they are going to have a tougher time, financially, than their parents there has never been a greater need for universal coverage.
The argument that governments can not afford universal coverage coupled with the argument the younger generation will suffer from such a system is nothing but a shameful, deceptive ploy promoted by nothing but greed.
When it comes to private insurance companies and private medical facilities how many 20-something's raising two kids and paying a mortgage have shares in those businesses?
Finally, the argument that people in countries with universal coverage are satisfied with mediocre care because that's all they have known let's keep in mind every country had a "pay of suffer" system at one time and not one country has reverted to it. Not one single country out of dozens.
There is no argument against universal coverage except greed.