As mentioned in the NSC, foreigners aren’t guaranteed free health care. Instead, they will have to pay into the health care network to get the same benefits that the regular citizen receives. With that said, a foreigner can pay into the Health1 network for as little as $250/month. This sounds expensive, and yes it is, but it will provide the same level of care that a citizen will have. As with the citizen, their ID card will be the Health1 card, and the receptionist will see that the Health1 care coverage is active. Without Health1 coverage, a physician visit will likely cost $50, and a specialist will likely cost $100. Prescriptions can range from $5 – $500 with the $500 likely a Class 1 or Class 2 drug. The patient pays for the visit, and any Class 1 drug when they arrive, and not when they leave.
If the foreigner has an emergency room visit, this would likely cost more than the insurance, but it is not likely that the foreigner is going to the emergency room every month. They will still want to weigh cost vs. benefit. The best thing for the foreigner will be to gain citizenship, and then insurance will apply to them.