If you think about it, insurance is there to protect you when something unlikely nonetheless occurs. Having your house broken into, your car stops functioning, or as in this case, getting ill.

So for the user (as opposed to the insurance company), the value of the insurance is not to on average be covered. The point is to always be ok if you get ill.

Where I'm getting at is that employment is a thing that isn't always a given. You're going to be between jobs at some point in your life, and you don't want a potential huge bill to wipe you out financially. Even if it is just for a short period, it ought to worry you that you aren't covered.

I get the feeling most of the debate just glosses over this with the average case, which is that most people are going to be just fine not being covered for a few months.