I like the "hospitals paid for by taxation" option, myself (with tweaks and caveats).

I can't fathom why so many people on this thread think it's a good thing for workers to depend on their employer for essentials like healthcare.

Same as any independent contractor / self-employed person. In a sane country, they'd be required to pay into social security system themselves. In many countries, however, being self-employed is a tax loophole.