An American friend of mine described a conversation he had with his brother-in-law, in which the BIL explained the concept of “pre-existing conditions” as an insurance concept: insurance is for future risks, and it’s not a future risk if it is pre-existing. So health insurance is for insuring against future health risks, things that we can’t know in advance might happen to us. Such as accidental injuries or sudden-onset illnesses.

Here in the land of government-provided “health insurance” (Canada) the concept of pre-existing condition doesn’t apply, what we have is not really insurance against future risk, it’s more along the lines of what you are talking about: providing the basics of life to the citizenry on the principle of maintaining a healthy country that takes care of its own. A fundamental difference in point of view.

An American friend of mine described a conversation he had with his brother-in-law, in which the BIL explained the concept of “pre-existing conditions” as an insurance concept: insurance is for future risks, and it’s not a future risk if it is pre-existing. So health insurance is for insuring against future health risks, things that we can’t know in advance might happen to us. Such as accidental injuries or sudden-onset illnesses.

Here in the land of government-provided “health insurance” (Canada) the concept of pre-existing condition doesn’t apply, what we have is not really insurance against future risk, it’s more along the lines of what you are talking about: providing the basics of life to the citizenry on the principle of maintaining a healthy country that takes care of its own. A fundamental difference in point of view.