Yes - there is coverage for low income folks, but the "average Joe" usually makes too much money to qualify. I guess the one benefit here is that we don't have the wait or have to go to designated providers for care that you do with a public health care system. If we feel that we aren't getting the care or consideration deserving of a condition, we can always go to a different doctor, and we don't have to wait sometimes months or longer for a particular test or procedure. If I were to go to my doctor tomorrow and he said I had to have an MRI (or whatever), it would be scheduled and performed in a matter of a few days or less. I guess that's why we pay the big bucks!