The French health service is effectively bankrupt
- see this from 2004
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/jan/24/france.jonhenley
it may well offer fantastic world class service but at what cost? It also suffers from huge over prescribing problems etc.
Every time the French government try to fix the problem the doctors and nurses go on strike...
Yes the NHS needs a significant overhaul, it is overly bureaucratic, top heavy and inefficient, however the US insurance based system has its own deficiencies including over charging (profiteering?), lack of adequate provision for those who cannot afford cover etc.