Socialized, European-style health care.

That’s one of the descriptions of the Affordable Care Act offered by critics of the health reform law.

In a new GHN Commentary, a German journalist says the issue is not that simple. She notes how health care systems in Europe differ from one another and how they differ from the U.S. system under Obamacare.

Many Americans view the government requirement to buy insurance as “a constraint on their personal freedom,’’  Katja Ridderbusch writes in her Commentary.

But she adds that “most Europeans view mandatory insurance as peace of mind, providing the freedom of not having to worry about exploding medical costs and instead, being able to focus on whatever they consider important in their lives.”

Here is a link to her Commentary.

Georgia Health News welcomes Commentary submissions. If you would like to propose a Commentary piece for Georgia Health News, please email Andy Miller, editor of GHN, at amiller@georgiahealthnews.com