He's still against France's system on a macro level vs a true market based system... which seems like an unachievable alternative, unfortunately. It sounds to me like he thinks "Free Market" > France > UK/Canada/etc > ... > Current US system.
And the macro level influences your anecdotal experience too. Will you still have that same care you're happy with if you lose your job?
I'll have the same care for at least 18 months after losing my job and even after that I'd have a variety of government programs that would provide for me. But the main point is that no one in the U.S. thinks our system isn't screwed up. The question is whether single-payer is the solution or not.
And the macro level influences your anecdotal experience too. Will you still have that same care you're happy with if you lose your job?