I believe you're arguing semantics. If we're being strict about the definition of insurance, we should also be strict about "free healthcare". There's no such t

I believe you're arguing semantics. If we're being strict about the definition of insurance, we should also be strict about "free healthcare". There's no such thing. Somebody has to pay for it. If it's the government, they do so using money collected from their citizens. You can call it premium, tax, payment - it doesn't matter. At its core it's a system of distributing risk - which is insurance. In my mind, the alternative to health insurance is paying market rates out of your pocket for everything. It's not a good idea and that's why most of the countries have universal health insurance coverage.