What is the real underlying reason why the USA does not have free healthcare like a British style NHS?

it is true that America spends more than twice as much [as pc of GDP] on defence as Britain.  It is also true that free enterprise has strong roots in America -- especially as every socialist experiment in America was a failure.  Britain used to have free enterprise health care ... which was changed after 1945 [when Britain's shining place in the world scheme was starting to run down].  It is also true that America has significantly lower taxes as pc of GDP then Britain, in significant part because America does not have a VAT.  Can't pay for something like the NHS if the government hasn't the money.  [Although why you'd want to defend the NHS is a bit of a mystery -- committees of bureaucrats should NOT be making broad medical decisions as to what condition is and isn't worth treating].  -- Granddad  [yup, I'm a Yank]

Because there is no such thing as free health care, that's why.  Free health care isn't even a myth, it's a flat out lie.

Americans, usually very liberal Americans, love to talk about the 'free' health care in the UK, Canada, and several socks & sandals nations in northern Europe.  They'll even go to those countries and interview residents walking out of the emergency rooms, asking them how much they had to pay out of pocket for their diagnosis and treatment.  Then they'll do the same thing in 'out dated backwards' America, and tell horror stories about a disabled veteran who paid $150,000 to have a splinter removed from his foot.  Oh, won't somebody please think about the children!

But while they love showing images of happily bandaged and medicated Canadians, Brits and Swedes, they never talk about who pays for this 'free' health care, and they never talk about what it doesn't cover.  Why is that, do you think?

The US has the best quality healthcare in the world 

The reason other countries are able to afford their “free” system is that he US subsidizes the Row costs

UK healthcare is like the DMV of healthcare ... long waits , bureaucracy, incompetent government workers ..... is that really what you want when your life depends on it 

Waste of money and lack of equality. 

The American people have been brainwashed into thinking it is akin to communism, although socialism is the current favourite attack word when the subject comes up.

Even though every other country in the modern industrialised world and many poorer countries deliver a health service based on need, not ability to pay, So many Americans ignore these facts and continue to live in pain and die through lack of money.

The idea to someone like me a Brit that any of my family or friends would have had to ask themselves if they could afford to take themselves or their kids to a doctor or hospital and get whatever treatment or medicine is needed when they were sick is incomprehensible.

The statistics say that up to 50,000 Americans die every year because they can't afford the treatment needed, how many more live with pain or conditions which treatment could cure if they could afford it.

The USA spend more per person on health care than any other nation in the world, yet the latest figures tell us that around 31 million Americans have no health insurance and for most of them if a family member gets sick it could be a disaster.

    First, no nation has ever had "free" health care. Medical professionals demand payment.

     Second, govt control would have no effect on the primary cost drivers in US health care which is: The fear of, avoidance of and preparation for lawsuits. Which, by the way, rarely be happen.