[dilanj]

"The vast majority of us are, actually, poor. The combination of job loss and serious illness could wipe out almost anyone."

That is why 'you do not have health insurance'. The very fancy employer provided plan I had at one point was no use when I broke my arm after quitting that job to start a start-up.

The role of the government is to be the 'enabler'; what better way is there to enable than to assure you that tripping over a rock won't be the end of everything you dreamed of?

[ars]

So you are saying you don't have insurance because you canceled your coverage when you quit?

If you want the government to pay for your coverage say so, but don't say you have no insurance when you chose to cancel it.

Edit: Perhaps I was misunderstood. I don't mean that quiting caused you to loose insurance (and therefor don't quit). I mean quit if you want, and keep your insurance. You chose not to keep your insurance after you quit. This was your choice.

[ewjordan]

So you are saying you don't have insurance because you canceled your coverage when you quit?

You say that as if you see nothing whatsoever wrong with bundling health coverage with employment - and not just employment, it has to be employment at a standard 9-to-5 company that's large enough to actually offer coverage. And God forbid you're not in the higher echelons of the economy and you have to work an hourly grind; look forward to a year's wait at the job before you can get covered.

To me this is just ridiculous; IMO, you absolutely should be able to quit your job for whatever the hell reason you want without ending up uninsured.

I don't care if the government pays or not, frankly - I just want to see a reasonable individual market open up, where the mere fact that you're in the market does not automatically mark you as high risk. If this means forcing all of America to join a risk pool, then so be it, even if I'm healthy and young I'm happy to pay the extra taxes for the increased mobility it affords you career-wise.

[ars]

> look forward to a year's wait at the job before you can get covered.

No. It's wait a year before the company pays your premium. In every company I've ever been at you can pay it yourself from day one if you like.

It's a monetary bonus. It has nothing whatsoever to do with availability of insurance.

> you absolutely should be able to quit your job for whatever the hell reason you want without ending up uninsured.

Perhaps you (and from the mods, most of the readers) are not aware that you can. It's called COBRA. You have to pay the premiums yourself, but it doesn't cost any extra. While you were working it came out of your salary, now it comes out of your saving (or your new job).

[nostrademons]

But it's not bundled with a 9-5. I had health insurance for the 15 months I was working on my own startup. I paid for it myself, out of savings.

If you don't have a pre-existing chronic condition, you can usually get health insurance for a fee. That fee will probably be high. But it's just another expense you need to budget for when you plan out the financials of starting a company.

[jhancock]

There is no reason that individual coverage should be so high. I don't mind buying my own insurance. I just want the same price the big buyers get. And I want the cost to be deductible without having to establish a corp that pays a salary to me simply so it can buy the insurance on my behalf.

[yardie]

Can you enlighten us on how you can keep your employer provided health benefits after you leave the company. He could have taken the COBRA, but that is seriously expensive and has an expiration date (3,6,12 months, not really sure). When you leave a company that bundles health you don't choose anything.

[ars]

COBRA is not seriously expensive. Why does everyone think it is? It costs exactly the same amount it cost you while you were employed. It just comes out of your savings instead of your wages.

It lasts a year and a half, after which you should have another job, private insurance (if you want to be self employed), or medicaid if you can't find another job.

[felipe]

From my experience:

It is expensive. I was paying $1.2k per month on my COBRA.

It is not the same amount it costs while you were employed. It is the cost the company would otherwise pay for the benefit. What companies deduct from your paycheck is not the full amount, which under COBRA you will be responsible for. In addition, the company pays the benefits with pre-tax dollars (so they actually have an incentive to provide the most expensive insurance), while you now will be paying COBRA with after-tax dollars (hopefully from your savings). And remember there is no steady income coming in anymore.

Private individual insurance is very restrictive. It is not the same kind of coverage one would expect with a group insurance through the employer.

[tptacek]

COBRA does not cost "exactly the same amount it cost you while you were employed". It costs you what your employer paid for that coverage. Virtually all employer-provided health care is heavily subsidized, often to the tune of 50-90%.

It's weird that you have such strong opinions about this subject, given your superficial grasp of it.