Hi there.
As someone who lives in the European Union (The Netherlands), I can assure you that the private sector is not all of the problem, even though it is a pig part of it. Even in The Netherlands, we have a large private sector, but most of the healthcare system is run by the government.

When you witness the recent discussions about Obama's healthcare plan, you will immediately see why the US doesn't have a universal healthcare system:
- the influence of large cooperations, that benefit greatly when not having to take care of those that cannot pay for it,
- the generic fear of all things 'socialist' amongst large groups in the United States.

Somehow, many Americans don't trust the government, and don't want to be paying for the healthcare of 'others'. I guess 'taking care of yourself' is part of the American way...

Edit: oh, and about the benefits of a single-payer healthcare:
+ general health level of the nation increases
+ quicker help, as everyone is automatically admitted

drawbacks:
- healthcare help sometimes asked too easily
- control of cost is difficult
- risk of fraud
-

The short answer is "Republicans" but the slightly longer answer is it is there isn't as much money in a universal health system. Money talks and it is well represented in the Senate. It's not quite about what's good for the masses, it's more about what's good for capitalism, even if the masses get screwed in the process.

Take recycling for example, as much as people cry about saving the planet if there wasn't a big dollar to be made we wouldn't be doing it. Look at the cost to the planet of the recycling program sometime. Those big collection trucks and processing centers aren't being run on solar energy...

As for the rest of your question, I'm not a qualified armchair politician or financial advisor. All I know is that I if certain interests get their way I won't have access to affordable care next year.

Health care as we now have it is the result of an older system - the founding fathers never sat down to decided to provide it as was decided for example with the public school system.

In the beginning doctors charged what they could and people paid what they had. As lab equipment, and hospitals grew expenses grew. Insurance companies were invented so that some people, generally people who had salaried jobs could offset the unexpected cost of health incidents. Therein lies the problem. Linking health care to profit. The health insurance companies need to answer to their stock holders.

We hear a lot in the news about ghoulish decisions made to deny care. These decisions enrage the average reader. However, the stockholders are the same Americans who deplore this practice. There's some odd disconnect there. Of course you can't turn a profit if you treat everyone, think about it. The only way to hit pay dirt is if all your subscribers were young and healthy.

Both Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama seemed to think that if the pool of subscribers were widened to include everyone in America, the cost of health insurance would go down. They carefully worded it as the cost of "health care".

I doubt this is so. Many people, including myself, lack health insurance because the cost is prohibitive. IF the government forces me to buy it I'll have to go without my home or food, a terrifying thought. If the government subsidizes me I'll be costing the system, not making it cheaper. . .

For my money, the only way to fund universal health care is to bypass the insurance system. Retain private insurance for wealthy individuals who want to go to private hospitals - but in addition - provide general hospitals for the public. I liken my system to the public verses private school system.

I don't doubt most people will prefer to have the private care. But it would be a Godsend for people like me to have something - I've weathered some terrible things.

I'll just answer it simply because there is not much reason why we lack form of universal healthcare.

The reason is because the health care insurances corporation throw WAY too much money at politicians.

Hope this helps!

The U S is trying to come up with a form of health care for all, but is having an awful time doing it. We have heard horror stories from all over the world, for years, and we are afraid. We believe that we are doomed to all the terrible stumbling blocks and pitfalls that other nations have endured will be ours. Most of these traps no longer are a problem in the countries that have universal health care. But we are afraid.
Maybe we are afraid because the nay-sayers encourage our fear. Vested interests in the U S are incredibily powerful and has huge influence over policy here. President Obama understands this, but he also know when an ideas time has come. Universal health care's time has come. Who in the U S does not deserve health care?
Over and over again, around the world, we have seen how inequality leads to disaster. Infection prayers on inequality, ignorance and poverty are the childern of inequality. In an nation where all man are created equall, how can we allow inequality in basic health care.

We have a universal healthcare system called "Medicaid" for those who meet the qualifications. This does have some limitations once you pass the age of 18 but all kids ARE covered by some form of insurance in the US.

You just have to look for it.

Corporate interests regarding profit prevent the United States from adopting a Universal Single Payer health system.