First step would probably be to decouple healthcare from being company, so people realize how expensive their health plans are and how much they pay for stuff most people don’t end up needing. Pretty sure for most people it’s more expensive than their single yearly checkup would be out of pocket.

Then, make state-wide and state-owned insurance plans that are capped in profits, so the rates have to match the true cost of things.

Let it simmer for a bit, get people to get used to the idea that the government provided service is actually good and cheaper for once.

Then make it mandatory for every state resident to be covered by it.

The big problem with universal healthcare in the US is the strong individualistic mindset, those that go “but I don’t want to pay for other people’s hospital bills”. Ease all those people that think they’ll suddenly be paying way more to subsidize other people’s health care into realizing it ends up cheaper because the costs are amortized over way more people. It needs to be spun up as a benefit to them, they’re getting a better deal on their health insurance. Because they simply don’t care about other people’s problems.

One thing that struck me living in the US is just how much distrust there is for anything government operated, even though it’s usually the companies they love so much that nickel and dime them. Although seeing how the politics are going right now, I kind of understand that sentiment. And pretty much every company does try to squeeze you out of your money, which makes people want to screw the companies over. Land of the fees.