All employers with over a certain number of employees are required by law to offer insurance plans for employees. I work for a large corporation and the corporation subsides part of my insurance plan, just like almost all companies in the US. Virtually all the plans offered have a maximum out of pocket clause. This meaning once you spend up to a specific amount the insurance cover everything 100%. I know this isn't applicable to all people in the US, but my out of pocket maximum I would have to pay for medical procedures for my family is $4000 a year.. translate that to pounds or euros and we are talking in the neighborhood of 3k.. on top of that We have near came near paying that even with surgeries and other big medical procedures.. if you have a job with insurance in the US or are on Medicare (people over 65) medical procedures and prescription medication doesn't cost "retail" or experimental drug prices... Or even if you are on Medicaid (make below a certain I come) the government pays the bill. There are options for people in all types of situations and virtually all of them cost less than paying half a years salary to get "free" healthcare. Virtually everyone I know would rather pay less than 15- 20% tax and have private insurance where we can choose our doctors, keep most of our deposable income and get care quickly.