[astrodust]

You're presuming 100% of what you pay to the insurance company gets passed through, which it does not.

There's also regulated costs, which makes it cheaper across the board. Per-capita spending is actually only about 50% what it is in the USA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_total_heal...).

Factoring in that, the net cost might be subsidized by other taxes by at most ~$2000 more a year. Part of this is paid by the employer on behalf of the employee and isn't listed as a deduction. The rest is subsidies from the federal level of government.

The thing that makes this more affordable for people on limited incomes is how it's tiered, not a fixed price for everyone. If you're an entrepreneur barely making an income, you don't pay much.