[solardev]

> US has better age demographic distribution than UK

I can believe that. Japan's even worse off, wonder what they're gonna do...

> The net tax burden on an average UK person is way higher compared to US while having worse average wages. Quick googling shows per capita income tax collected in US is $15K, while in UK it is $21K

It's a bit trickier than that, because some of the same services (like healthcare) are still paid by the typical consumer in the US, it just doesn't show up in their taxes. $6k/year might actually just cover the premiums for a small family (what you pay the insurer before you use any services). Using that healthcare would be way more expensive.

I think a fairer comparison would be discretionary income (disposable income minus cost of living expenses like housing, healthcare, food, education), etc. Unfortunately that data isn't easy to find, and definitions differ, but without considering all of those, it's not really apples-to-apples just to look at taxation rates.

The average person is more affected by "how much money do I have left to spend after the essentials" than "am I paying the government or a private company for these essentials".

[lotsofpulp]

> $6k/year might actually just cover the premiums for a small family (

This is not true anywhere in the US. The lowest premiums are ~$400 per person per month for bronze level insurance.

Lowest premiums for a family of four would be ~$2k per month plus annual deductible of $5k to $10k plus annual out of pocket maximum of ~$10k to $17k (legal limit).

[PaulDavisThe1st]

This is incorrect.

At least until the end of 2024, insurance premiums are capped via subsidies (either paid directly, or as tax credits). The computation of the cap is extremely complex, but basically: you do not pay more than 8.3% of your household AGI for your state's 2nd most expensive silver-level insurance plan.

This is not widely talked about. It was a part of the ACA, but there was a salary cap somewhere near 100k/yr. The cap was removed during the COVID19 pandemic, and this currently runs to the end of 2024.

I used to pay $1300/month for my wife and I (in our late 50s); I currently pay $440/month (annual income approx $120k).

[lotsofpulp]

Interesting, does that only apply if you buy via healthcare.gov?

I see the full $30k+ in annual premiums that my employer plus I am paying in my W-2 (box 12 code DD), which is money that could have been cash compensation.

[PaulDavisThe1st]

It does not apply (by my understanding) to employer-provided insurance. It does apply to all individually provided insurance whether purchased on exchange or not.