Even just $150–200 monthly is quite a lot compared to the UK and other European countries if you consider a pound is about equal to a euro and a dollar, considering wages and inflation and such, the purchasing power. From what I understand, the real costs are a lot higher.

In the UK it's about £100, given the share of state revenue for health care, including national insurance payments and a cap on med costs. Of course, those who earn less pay less due to progressive taxation. Not everything is fully covered (or at all), but much/all of the life-saving treatment is.

However, the public health care system is underfunded. Part of the reason is making the health care system less attractive due to (EU) migration.

In other countries it's not all that different. Some might be a bit more like the US. There tends to be (still) a belief that competition between insurance companies or health care providers, a liberalised market, makes things better. Underfunding is used to "proof" that point.

But that you don't have to pay the premium if you can't is good, at least.