In the United Kingdom the population pay National Insurance. It is a compulsory payment that is taken from all salary, even welfare income, and is taken from everybody over 16 years old. It is not called tax, but essentially it is.
The funds are used to provide health care, welfare, and state pensions to the entire population. I think the approximate value of the payment is somewhere around 5% of the income. In my opinion, and having many years experience of both, it is a lot cheaper than paying for health insurance in the USA, even with a large contribution from our employers. And there is absolutely no chance of me ever being dropped by the company, or refused care in anyway.