Sanders just said his MFA ends all premiums. I'm on Medicare. I pay a monthly premium.

[Aussie105]

178. We have health insurance in Australia.

Two types:

1. Public system: GPs bulk bills, sends you to a specialist who bulk bills, or does blood tests. Costs: nil.
Scripts vary in costs: depending on medicine, but usually heavily subsidised by the government. My scripts as a pensioner cost me $6, no matter what it is.

You could end up in hospital for weeks and not pay out of pocket.

Sounds like it's unaffordable for a country to do so? Well, it's paid for through the tax system. Of course, Australia doesn't maintain a super expensive Army, so the money is there, not being spent on fighting overseas wars.

Good system? Well, yes, it's free, so cheap. But there are disadvantages.
a. Can't choose your own specialist.
b. Public hospitals aren't very kind, they are overworked and try to keep beds free. Gall bladder out one afternoon, next morning, pack your bags, here are some pain killers, off you go, type of thing.
(Wife had hers out in the private system - spent a whole relaxing week in a hospital bed recovering.)

2. Private system.
You buy insurance, the more protection, the higher the premiums.
You get to choose your doctor, specialist, and hospital.
After a hospital stay, you will get a flood of bills for gap payment - the anaesthetist, the surgeon, the hospital itself charge more than what you are covered for.
So a patient is seen as a cash source, rather than a sick person who needs to be helped.

So there you are. Sounds like America has the private system only.

So yes, a MFA can be cost free to a patient.
(But is America going to give up it's war machine to do so? Not a chance!)