[phil21]

Someone making 3x (as a programmer) can very easily afford very high quality health insurance. When you have it, it actually does work.

Chances are they are already covered by their employer though.

The lack of "affordable" healthcare really isn't a concern for the six figure tech worker class - those salaries imply quality health insurance as part of the package.

[cr1895]

Is it possible that due to some horribly unfortunate illness, one well-paid SV person loses their job? Let's say one has excellent insurance and a well-compensated job, but despite this fortune this person gets cancer and is out of work for a considerable time for medical reasons. Since California is an at-will state, this person may lose her job. Will she still have that great employer-provided insurance? Will the lack of affordable healthcare still not be a concern for her?

I think it's short-sighted to say that the lack of a social safety net is of no concern to a well-paid tech worker.

[atmosx]

> The lack of "affordable" healthcare really isn't a concern for the six figure tech worker class

Isn't it? Let's do the math... A leukimia treatment drug that is virtually free in most advanced European healthcare will cost virtually 0 USD/year.

In india the same drug might as far as 2.5k/year. In the USA the same drug (patent hold by Novartis) costs 70k/year.

Let's say you are living in SF. You get paid anywhere between 80 and 120k/year at a top IT company and you have to give 70k/year away: 120-70 = 50k. Are 50k/year enough to live in SF, Silicon Valley or the Bay Area?

[curiousphil]

Generally speaking good healthcare (insurance) is going to cover the majority of the cost of the drugs for the person that has it.

[cr1895]

Yes, assuming one remains employed and still has this great employer-paid health insurance while needing this hypothetical $70k/year drug while fighting leukemia.

I really do wonder though, since there's zero guarantee in the US that one would remain employed through all of this.

[atmosx]

For posterity, the 70k/year is a real[1] number.

[1] https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/04/why-chemo...

[atmosx]

To be honest I didn't take that into account but I guess you're right.