[mathieuh]

The most relevant industry to this board (IT) usually provide private healthcare though. I’ve had BUPA from work since I graduated. Granted this is across only two jobs but when I’ve been applying for jobs in the past private health has always been one of the perks

Maybe it’s different in the start up world but larger companies all seem to offer private health insurance.

[hkt]

My experience in IT in the UK is:

VC backed companies will sell you private health insurance as a perk. It is rarely useful. I suspect it is a way of funnelling money at low rates of tax to the VC's other holdings in at least one case, but have no proof. It certainly funds the privatisation agenda at low cost to the investor, though.

Seniority is signified through leadership or contracting. The latter you can get private insurance as a perk through your own company, but again, it is useless.

Most permanent non-lead roles I've had that have been more conventional haven't had it, though.

[RobertoG]

When comparing healthcare costs between USA and Europe, everybody speak about the public systems vs. USA, but I would like to see the cost per person of the private plans in Europe against the cost per person in the USA.

For what I read about USA, in HN and in other places, I suspect Americans would be surprised too. Those private plans have a very hard competitor in the public system, so, somehow, at least in my area, they manage to be pretty affordable.

[pintxo]

in Germany, private plans are often 1/2 of the public plan. But only at young age, prices will go up with age and switching back in the public system is legally blocked (for most cases).

Also private plans are mostly only available above a certain income level. So the demographics are skewed towards better educated, richer and thereby healthier people in the privat plans.

[flumpcakes]

The only place I've ever had private healthcare in the UK was from an American company (BlackRock).