[splintercell]

I’m not sure if I agree with your experience, in New York City Obamacare plans are horrendously bad, The coverage comes nowhere near to the crappiest employer plan. I had to hire a Nigerian kid to just call the doctors listed on Obamacare website which accepted the silver plan, and about only 40% of the doctors really did (this was for a delivery). $1400 per month for a mother and a child. I currently pay $1400 per month for coverage in all the US through open access for a full family of four (because I live in a place where Obamacare isn’t applicable so the prices are relatively dirt cheap and allows special deals with mainland insurers to get that coverage most mainlanders don’t get).

[cyberlurker]

The price is probably similar to what the employer pays. It just gets hidden because everyone only pays attention to what comes out of their paycheck. I know a past employer paid $2000 for me per pay period.

Health insurance is bullshit obviously. the costs are hidden and definitely suppress what our wages could be. A government solution would be hard pressed to be worse.

[splintercell]

I don't think anyone really thinks that health insurance plans cost $200 vs individual plans being $1400. Just the implication is ridiculous. Our problem wasn't the price, but the coverage. I know my BIL pays $2200 (total, including what his employer pays) and gets excellent plan for him and his wife, whereas us paying $1400 (and this was the same case with the more expensive plans too, coverage didn't change a bit, any doctor who accepted gold, accepted silver too).

My point is, (speaking strictly from a consumer POV) whatever is the reason, the NYC doctors just didn't take Obamacare plans, period.

[cyberlurker]

Oh this is true of insurance everywhere but especially in NYC. Dental, Vision, legal, whatever. Every time (in NYC) I tried to make use of insurance I had limited choices and they were often bad.

In other parts of the country I’ve had more success using insurance.

[splintercell]

> Oh this is true of insurance everywhere

Oh come on, I am comparing apples to apples (my last insurance, and my BIL's current insurance). But that's fine, I see why the mental gymnastics are being played here.

[boppo1]

> hire a Nigerian kid to just call the doctors listed on Obamacare website which accepted the silver plan

How much did this cost? How did you find/arrange it? This is fascinating. When selecting my healthcare I remember wishing I had the time to make so many calls and then just gambled with an educated guess.

[splintercell]

I paid him the US minimum wage and that was a bit too much for him for very little work, kinda spoiled him a bit.

I think I paid around $200.

[boppo1]

How did you find him? An upwork-like platform? Personal connections? How did you vet for english ability/reliability?

I suppose my fascination is that this seems like a 'platonic' example of globalism in action. But in my mental model of globalism, the ability to engage with its benefits are an exponential function of ability to spend public-company amounts of money.