Which part of Australia do you live in? Health care is not free. We get medicare rebates for visiting doctors but they sitll cost money as do medicines.

Major Surgery is free I guess, if you want to go on the waiting list, however if an ambulance picks you up from an accident etcc that costs money as does staying in the hispital.

I would personally say it is cheaper than Aemrican, but not free for everyone.

If may be free for low income earners I don't know.

I forgot to add they way my family saves money and eats well is to buy meats in bulk (chicken, beef, pork, what ever is on sale) and cook it, portion and bag it, than refrigerate or freeze (cooked foods must be cooled to freezer or refrigerated temps in no more than 6 hrs). Than when we want to eat we take out how much we will eat and reheat it. we even make taco meat this way, and breakfasts meats. Most cooked meats are good for 5-10 days in the fridge and many months in the freezer. We no longer buy any pre cooked food, and now we save money from when we were buying pre cooked food. It works for veggies and pasta too (we dont freeze those, just cook what we need for a week)

move to any developed country outside the us. or to cuba i guess.

Think on the upside. Now you are no longer contributing to the american debt... right? :D

Anyways I was recently studying exactly what was the whole deal with the american health system and it's pretty crazy how things are up there. No wonder you guys start to believe socialism is a good idea when the medical-pharmaceutical mafia is able to get away with pretty much everything. The government should encourage more healthier lifestyles and put a cap on those insane costs. It should not matter if these guys studied ten years to be physicians, it's pretty shady to have something as essential as health to be the main subject of so many political discussions and entire people's savings.

Personally, yeah, I'd do my best to live a healthier life and look for free clinics for the more mundane stuff and major medical only also if you feel you do have the need.

When I was without Medicaid before, I was hitting up a clinic at a local hospital.  I then ran into back issues and ended up having to delay the surgery, because of I could afford the anastesia.  So I now have permanent numbness in my left food.  Anyhow, I will need to see what can be come up with.  Issue is my hours and pay can fluctuate so I go from anywhere from around $350 a week to under $200.

On what I am doing, I don't do drugs, smoke, or even caffein as a stimulant, and I am trying to get to the gym about 45 minutes a day for treadmill and working my way up.  I do face other issues though.  And I will try to work on the food side of things.