with shared cost between the insurer (government) and insured (individual), including acute care and basic maintenance so the emerge is not the only place they get to see a doc. A nominal cost sharing, let's say individual pays 5%, to prevent abusive use of free health care and incentives to promote health including lifestyle changes (those who smoke has to pay more, for example). On top of this, there are many optional layers of coverage of different scope and comprehensiveness provided by private sector. The money government spend on you is not being wasted, because your choice of private insurer can build on that.