>The Universal entitlement scheme would need to cover trauma/emergency plus whatever other care the taxpaying public regards as essential for all and wants to fund. It can be established as a formal insurance scheme (as the ACC is) to prevent political meddling.
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>FWIW, the cost for the ACC scheme including cover for the worker/family/visiting tourists etc is $160 per year for a programmer earning $50,000 annually. $95 of that is an allocation for injuries prior to formation of the scheme, meaning the ongoing cost is actually only $65 per year. IMHO that's not bad for a scheme that includes compensation for resulting disability and pays 80% of salary until you can get back to work, as well as funding healthcare.

What percentage of total tax revenue does New Zeland pay out for that plan each year? That percentage must be applied to your salary to get an acurate figure of your costs. Does your employer pay into this as well?