Health insurance

[jlee]

I'm paying around $240/month for the wife and I through my employer. Pretty good coverage too, all x-rays and any other labwork costs $0, which we've already taken advantage of.

Sounds like pretty solid coverage. My last visit to a critical care unit was..$260-280? If I remember correctly, I paid nothing up front, then got a bill for ~$60, then weeks/months later got a bill for $160.

So basically, the $9k in insurance premiums that have been paid over the last two years here saved me $60.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Maybe I misunderstood - are you saying that the cost of the insurance isn't related to the income of the person/family?

For most people with employer sponsored insurance, that is correct.

I guess the ACA (Obamacare) may change that some with the subsidies, but it's not something I've explored much.

 

[Golgatha]

Income taxes are only part of the equation. Sales tax is higher, goods cost more, etc. Everything is related.

24% VAT and 14% VAT on food. Also 30-32% on investment income.

 

[fstime]

Employer sponsored health insurance commonly only pays 80% for both doctor visits and hospital treatment. Employers are even starting to move to policies which only pay 70% of costs leaving you with 30% of your medical bills.

I find the system here inadequate.

 

[xeemzor]

Our obsession with free market solutions is precisely why our healthcare system is a joke, and costs an order of magnitude more than the rest of the world.

Not really. There are no reward for efficiency in the market place because of insurance. If you want want to see how much healthcare really costs look here: http://www.surgerycenterok.com/. Yes, it is real and at 10% the cost of what most hospitals charge.

 

[Jumpem]

I think mine is about $70 per week for a family of four. My employer covers the other 80% of it. We have deductibles that have to paid at first as well.

The biggest problem though is that if you lose your job you lose your health care.

I would much prefer to have the national health care model of Europe, Canada, or Japan.