This.
In Germany, I think we pay some 15% of our income pre tax, meaning you don't pay yourself, it's automatically deducted from your income together with all the taxes.
Not sure how it works for the peeps that are insured privately.
You do get access to everything but some procedures like complex dental work are not covered w/o insurance addons you can book in addition to the basic (mandatory) plan. On meds you get a large discount, visiting a doc or a hospital won't cost you (ditto on the appointment shortage though).
At least it never cost me or my parents extra and I had many an operation.
Plastic surgery etc. are excluded though.
Yeah, definitely not free but much better than having to run to a private bank taking on huge loans if sth. were to happen.