I'm no American, but the concept of having to pay to receive healthcare just seems so foreign, and, dare I say it, Third World. Where I'm from, if you're sick, then you'll be treated. One can opt for private healthcare, where you get gourmet salad instead of cold potatoes, but everyone receives treatment for any illness, and, for the most part, you do not have to pay (exceptions include very expensive treatments for very rare conditions, but we do have grants that can go towards them, and private organisations regularly fundraise for funds for such cases)

The whole concept of paying for healthcare suggests says that rich people will be treated, and the poor won't. But which group has greater health issues? Answer: the poor. But, oh wait, they can't afford it. Too bad.

New Zealand is not a rich country, but we give the right to health a big enough priority. America, as the largest economy in the world, should be able to do this very easily. Good on Obama for attempting to catch up with the rest of the Western world.