[ZeroGara]

Let's say the averaging working person makes $35k, even though that official averages may seem higher when taking into account all the zillioners in the US paying little or no tax.
About 15% of it goes to various levels of government while from the rest 5-8% goes to sales tax. Food is a little less, fuel, alcihole, and tabaco is much higher. So in reality it is above 20%. Sales tax is a little different than VAT, as VAT can only be deducted once, while one item can be resold 5 times and pay tax each time on the sale value.
An average health insurance if purchased individually for a family of four in good health to begin with, and with non risky occupation, may pay around $3k a month. Where if a large employer was to provide this same coverage it may cost $400 to the employer and $200 for the employee. Please correct me.
Very few people in the US buy health insurance on their own, except for well to do self employed people who do not provide any insurance for their employees. Things change when occupation is considered a high risk (truck/lorry driver, construction, marine, etc.) or a pre-existing condition can be found before coverage. If you smoke or ride a bike it may even get uglier. Many in recent years had to give up their motorcycle license to maintain coverage.
Also, you have to be a hell of a good book-keeper when dealing with doctors and hospitals to get refunded or gave bills paid, and then not all. By the time your family health crisis is over you have become an expert on coverage, unnecessary treatment and care, you have developed negotiating skills similar to a UN crisis intervention diplomat, and for months you have to deal on a daily basis with remaining delayed billing that wasn't packaged in, renegotiating with claim assistants to verify this was from a single incident and not an other one, etc. etc.
So, the next time you cut your hand, you think twice before you demand it gets reattached or stick a band-aid on the remaining arm and seek disability.
If by any chance you develop cancer from worrying too much about such crap, you take the blue pill then jump off the highest roof in town. That's american for "take an aspirin and call us tomorrow" that you get from the NHS.
The good responsible citizens who are self organized and disciplined as RobSC mentions are the subservient androids who have been terrorized by the nazi government to operate under this lunatic system and even defend it! The rest of us are like rebels to the BORG, enemies of the state.

"God bless the queen ........... moron,..... screaming"
SP song dedicated to all comrades in Scotland