[asdff]

The whole issue with this premise is that someone has to bear the risk. There are no 20 year olds who know with certainty that they don't or will not soon have health concerns that require insurance. Anyone could be get hit with a car walking across the street or get a photon to break some DNA in their skin and cause a melanoma. 20 year olds are not invincible or always in perfect working order.

[Fordec]

And yet, statistically, the vast majority will be healthy. And the ones with chronic issues should know where they need to be on how to manage it. It's down to you if how you want to live your life. Plenty of tech companies that aren't startups. Plenty of countries that pay less and have higher taxes that have the safety net. Pick your lifestyle and live with your decision. I did, took the risks, it didn't pay off, but I would do it again.

[asdff]

I don't think you understand how much money is in the bananastand here in the US. Even with a european tier safety net, its not like a huge tradeoff will be made. You could easily pay people the same and give them solid benefits to boot with just a little bit more taxation at the top end of the economy. People act like taxing rich people will scare them off, yet there are probably more rich people in California than in Texas or some other red state where they'd be taxed less presumably.

[Fordec]

So move to Europe then. Enjoy your $75k/yr salary with 42% income tax. Other fomments in this thread are using $150k as a baseline salary of reasonable expectation. It's not a big deal to you after all. I on the other hand emigrated from Europe already and don't plan on returning. I make more here now per year than I did cumulatively in my first 7 years of work combined and finally have hope of not living with my mother for the rest of my life and can afford housing. And this is the "it didn't work out" timeline.