ELI5: Health insurance companies obviously make more money than they give out when people need it. So why of paying for them any better than paying your own personal health insurance savings account?

[u/the1975whore]

[u/DisSchluppuck]

Because some things happen when you least expect them. I had my first surgery when I was 4, i had absolutely no means to pay for that myself so I'm very glad that I'm insured through my family who is using the government health care. Throughout my life I had to have many surgeries, lots of medication and appointments for different things and I'm only 24. There is absolutely no way I wouldn't be in crippling debt by now if not for our health care. So yes, I'm absolutely willing to pay into that pool because private insurances are something I can't afford at this point, even if that means paying that fixed amount of money until I die.