Compare your health care coverage to a country that has universal health care?

I live in Australia where we have a government funded health care system. In Australia you have a choice whether you use private insurance or the government Medicare system. If you are privately insured you find that your needs are seen to more quickly this is especially the case in situations that are not life threatening. You have a better choice of doctors as many of them prefer to deal the better paying insurance industry. However if you find your self in a life threatening situation you will be attended to immediately and receive good quality care. Personally I have had three procedures done,(carpel tunnel in both hands and a complete elbow replacement)under the national health system and have had to shell out very little money. If I were unable to pay anything I would not have had to pay a thing. I was forced to wait for about two months to have these done as there is a waiting time. Aside from that however I have no complaints at all. The system here works this way. If you are employed, you see you general practitioner with your problem, this visit is completely covered by the government. He refers you to a specialist, the specialist has a set fee that you need to pay him, You pay him. You get a proportion of this payment back from Medicare on the same day if you like.(somewhere between half and two thirds. he referred me to a surgeon that works in the public hospital system. or I can take his referral and find any surgeon that works in the public hospital system that can fit me in. I pay him for a preliminary visit. I get a proportion of this fee back immediately. he then books me in for surgery at the end of a waiting list. I am informed that I have to report to hospital for a pre op check up. I am informed about the date and time of the procedure. in the case of the carpel tunnel it was day surgery and with the elbow I spent two nights in hospital. Because I work I am up for a small amount of money, about AU$500.00 for the elbow and about 50 for the carpel tunnels. However If I were destitute I would not have to pay a cent. By the way all of the procedures I had done were successful and in my opinion a good job, I was directed to a doctor for the carpel tunnel and both hands were done by different registrars some time apart.. The elbow was done by the actual surgeon that examined me. A registrar is a doctor that is basically a subcontractor for the chief surgeon of a practice.