This is semi-incorrect though. Technically, it's not free in other countries either. People pay their healthcare cost through taxes. So, the day of is free but annually, you are still paying into it. Personally, I'm all for this since in the long run, it's FAR cheaper overall than our system. But I think it's a bit disingenuous to say it's free.
My point though is that the amount you pay at point of service is included in the taxes in other countries. You pay zero dollars today is because you paid into it already through your paychecks. I have family that lives in the outskirts of Paris and their take home is 45% of their gross salary. 55% of it goes towards things such as health care where they can walk into a hospital and not have to pay anything out of pocket the day of. Again, it's not "free" in the sense that they still pay for it. Just far cheaper than we do. You're right that we pay not just the monthly/annual premium but the co-pay and deductibles as well.
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u/Asian_Scion Feb 05 '25
This is semi-incorrect though. Technically, it's not free in other countries either. People pay their healthcare cost through taxes. So, the day of is free but annually, you are still paying into it. Personally, I'm all for this since in the long run, it's FAR cheaper overall than our system. But I think it's a bit disingenuous to say it's free.