Just a quick note on prescriptions in response to gagged_Louise - in Australia low income earners (and the thresholds are pretty generous, especially for families with children) get prescriptions for a flat fee of $4.90 each (which isn't very much, it's even less in American dollars). That pays for administering the scheme and the government pays for the drugs.

Not quite free, but anyone can afford it.

And pensioners (not just aged, but disabled, single parents etc) get a fortnightly pharmacutical supplement, i think it is the cost of 2 prescriptions.

I've always found the public health system here fantastic.