4 ms·

> What I'd like to know is how much NHS-level healthcare would cost me in the US. If you're employed by a tech company, the out-of-pocket costs to you will be

> What I'd like to know is how much NHS-level healthcare would cost me in the US. If you're employed by a tech company, the out-of-pocket costs to you will be $0, and your standard of care will probably go up. Yes, you will occasionally have a $10 or $20 co-pay, but on a tech salary costs are negligible unless you're on a ton of meds. The problem with care in the US is how it's impacting the lower-middle class and the poor. The professional class generally have great care and don't pay much for it.

kmonsen 6y ago
Not sure why parent is downvoted, as a European that has lived in Zurich, London and Oslo + NYC and SF healthcare cost is a non-issue for those of us lucky enough to work at a company that provides healthcare. This applied from what I understand to even the smallest startups. US healthcare sucks in general, but for the wealthy (and most of the people reading this site falls into this category) it is actually pretty good. Health care cost, or the predictability of it, is not an issue to not move to the US IMHO.
- capableweb 6y ago
  > for the wealthy [...] it is actually pretty good. Yeah, I mean no shit. It's like that all over the world. What is really important is how healthcare is for the 99% rest of population, who needs help more than you who are wealthy. That's the problem.
  - kmonsen 6y ago
    I really agree with you, and I am all in on M4A. But for the thread the important part is that if you are a software engineer moving to the US is safe.
- brnt 6y ago
  Sounds like a pair of golden handcuffs. Is your family at least covered as well? What if your partner gets in that car crash, or your kid has an expensive birth defect? Expensive care is a matter of time, not a matter of luck. It really makes me uncomfortable as well that timing or location (or employment) seem to matter.
  - kmonsen 6y ago
    Your full family is covered yes. My wife was covered before we were married as well, being in a stable relationship was enough. And yes agree I would like healthcare to be not tied to employment.
  - kmonsen 6y ago
    And for the handcuffs if you get any other job it almost certainly has similar insurance. The main issue is if you have no job, when you live you are offered what is called I think Cobra that will keep you on a similar plan. I’ve heard from coworkers that left, sometimes not voluntarily, that it is not cheap at all. California also has decent options for private insurance.
DanBC 6y ago
> The professional class generally have great care and don't pay much for it. Wealthy people in the US are over-tested, which leads to over-diagnosis and over-treatment, and these things cause harm.

kmonsen 6y ago

Not sure why parent is downvoted, as a European that has lived in Zurich, London and Oslo + NYC and SF healthcare cost is a non-issue for those of us lucky enough to work at a company that provides healthcare. This applied from what I understand to even the smallest startups. US healthcare sucks in general, but for the wealthy (and most of the people reading this site falls into this category) it is actually pretty good. Health care cost, or the predictability of it, is not an issue to not move to the US IMHO.

capableweb 6y ago
> for the wealthy [...] it is actually pretty good. Yeah, I mean no shit. It's like that all over the world. What is really important is how healthcare is for the 99% rest of population, who needs help more than you who are wealthy. That's the problem.
- kmonsen 6y ago
  I really agree with you, and I am all in on M4A. But for the thread the important part is that if you are a software engineer moving to the US is safe.
brnt 6y ago
Sounds like a pair of golden handcuffs. Is your family at least covered as well? What if your partner gets in that car crash, or your kid has an expensive birth defect? Expensive care is a matter of time, not a matter of luck. It really makes me uncomfortable as well that timing or location (or employment) seem to matter.
- kmonsen 6y ago
  Your full family is covered yes. My wife was covered before we were married as well, being in a stable relationship was enough. And yes agree I would like healthcare to be not tied to employment.
- kmonsen 6y ago
  And for the handcuffs if you get any other job it almost certainly has similar insurance. The main issue is if you have no job, when you live you are offered what is called I think Cobra that will keep you on a similar plan. I’ve heard from coworkers that left, sometimes not voluntarily, that it is not cheap at all. California also has decent options for private insurance.

DanBC 6y ago

> The professional class generally have great care and don't pay much for it. Wealthy people in the US are over-tested, which leads to over-diagnosis and over-treatment, and these things cause harm.