On Adapting the French Healthcare Model

Last Thursday, our friend Mediana wrote a blog entitled "Our Health Care and Our Country" about a potential health care reform proposal that she agrees with. That is, in a nutshell: some major European countries survive as world powers providing only free healthcare and no insurance, why shouldn't the US do the same?
Well, saying that the French do not have health insurance is untrue, but her overall idea still rings true. French health care is provided by the government and does not include extensive waitlists like those distastefully found in the Canadian system. In fact, according to Paul Dutton, the World Health Organization ranked France as #1 in healthcare in 2001, with the United States at #37.
The way Dutton paints it, French insurers aren't "out to get" their clients, the way Mediana makes it seem American insurers are. I understand generally that American insurance companies in general do "everything to deny a claim," as she says, but I do wish that she would provide a case in point. Otherwise it is hard to completely side with her.
Another point to address is that France pays a considerable $3,500 per capita to provide for their healthcare, and their taxes to help cover healthcare are rising. Compared to the US, however, which pays $6,100 per capita, France's price is almost a pittance.
Applying this in reality, we must take into account that the United States has about five times as many people as France and covers at least fifteen times more land. Our girth is a considerable factor in the strength of centralized enforcement of programs. That is, we may not be as apt to quickly spread these healthcare reforms as France was and would be.
Yet another unaddressed point is why American insurance companies are the major issue concerning health care. America's capitalism is its pride, and its economy is the best in the world. This is precisely because of the tenacity of business, for better or for worse. American insurance companies are going to be accommodated to some extent, at the very least they will not be completely abolished.
The same goes for changing healthcare policy in America. Many accommodations will have to be made for voters to side with any healthcare reform. No change so dire as complete government control or free healthcare will go over easily, much less a complete drop of an economic institution like insurance.