@stephen – I think you’re looking at the American health system through rose tinted spectacles. It’s only a small percentage of people that can afford the type of cover you’re envisaging, nearly 50% of Americans have to rely on the substandard offerings of the state. Of the others the majority have their insurance paid by their employer, so no job, no insurance. There’s also no guarantee that the insurer will fund the treatment of long term health problems. If I’m wrong, someone will hopefully correct me.
For all its faults, I reckon the NHS does a pretty good job, but there are always going to be errors and inequalities, it is, after all, run by people. The problem is, it’s difficult to get these people, who are mostly bookkeepers, to take a long view when their immediate aim is balancing the annual budget. Thank goodness the majority of the time they don’t do too badly, but I’m pretty sure there wouldn’t be a conflict between your pump and a child’s cancer treatment, they’re probably funded from different budgets, and anyway, there’s special provision for cancer treatments.