I was lucky enough to work for shops that offered health inusrance to all full-timers. In fact, one of the shops (Freewheeling in Austin ... good folks) gave me the only retirement plan I've ever had. Health insurance was never cheap, but being on a group plan is usually more affordable than going it alone. Most of the guys I worked with chose to skip the health insurance and instead pocket the $50 per month it would have cost them. Stupid thing to do, if you ask me, especially if you ride a bike.
No public assistance for me. Tax time was always fun, though. Most of the time, the government would just shake it's head in pity and give me all of my taxes back.