The introduction of universal health care was intelligently handled.

In May  1940 the Conservative Chamberlain government was seen to have failed - no possibility of calling an election - so a coalition government took over : Churchill and Attlee. While continuing war the coalition planned for the future peace under the so called Beveridge Commission one of whose principal members was  Harold Wilson the future PM.

In 45 Labour won committed to introduce National Health which had been one of Beveridge's main recommendations. 

Attlee surprisingly put Nye Bevan in charge. Surprisingly because Attlee and Bevan had been bitter enemies during the War because , as a labor leader Bevan had actually led strikes that impeded the government.

Also surprising because the national organization that represented doctors was determined to fight the introduction of the National Health Service and it seemed that a fighter like  Bevan would not be able reach an agreement with the militant doctors. 

(When Clinton was elected in 92  I read  Michael Foot's biography of Bevan to see what light it might cast on Hillarycare)

Theoretically Bevan didn't negotiate with the doctors, claiming that under the British system of Parliamentary government no individual could  alter position that had been  voted  in to place by the Government. But if you read  Foot;s history  that was a distinction without a difference. For example  Bevan agreed that while all NHS doctors were "government employees" in the hospital  , they could also provide private medical help from home.

Conversely Hillary  was felt by her staff to have rebuffed  those Republican Senators were willing to meet her half way.

The British success in implementing National Health may well have influenced the continental governments that introduced their own govt, program just after the war . 

"You can't beat something with nothing".  So Obama/Pelosi correctly settled for Obamacare to show that if they couldn't  go the whole hog, they'd take what they could get.