> Americans wouldn't tolerate the trade-offs in the British healthcare system

I do not believe this is true. Keep in mind that the UK has universal healthcare (NHS) but also has a private healthcare system.

The private healthcare system can be used to prioritize speed, comfort, elective procedures, ...

Around 12% of the UK population has private medical insurance [1].

> It's a policy determination to subsidize drug companies to make sure we get access to the latest drugs.

There are cases in which a drug is under extreme demand outstripping manufacturing capacity. In these cases, paying more can provide access to a limited resource.

However, to my eyes, this appears to be an unusual occurrence rather than the typical state of drug production worldwide. I don't see evidence that the amount the US pays for drugs results in dramatically higher access.

I believe the opposite is true. If a drug is available in a US pharmacy but it is unaffordable, does one have access to it? I would say no.

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jan/30/almost-one-i...