Somewhat bizarre transition between helping people afford America's criminally parasitic healthcare industry and making many choose between either limiting their income or going without healthcare altogether. Self-employed citizens, and those who get paid by commission or by piece, are encouraged to cap their incomes or be fined for their success. Example: Income of $62000 - CoverOregon pays 66% of a senior couple's plan (total plan cost roughly $1300 per month with CO paying $800+ of it) plus limits out of pocket expense to $8500 yr. Total cost to insured about $14000 yr. Income of $63000 - CoverOregon pays 0% of a senior couple's plan (total plan cost roughly $1300 per month or about 25% of their total income) Total cost to insured about $24000 yr. So, if self-employed, you're better off by $10,000 if you stop working each year when you reach the cutoff point of $62040. Unless you're going to make another $15,000 or so. 4 years ago, when our insurance was cancelled for a pre-existing condition, we were paying Lifewise about $425 month total with no outside assistance. The same plan today costs $1,300 without assistance. A 300% rise in insurance prices at a time when the economy stayed basically flat otherwise. Half of Americans earn less than $27,000 a year. Either way, with help or with no help, the delusion that Americans have 1/4 to 1/3 of their income available to use for healthcare is simply ridiculous.
What's ridiculous is thinking that "CoverOregon" pays for it. Our tax dollars pay for it. We're bribing ourselves with our own money. What a fucking scam. I'd laugh about it more if people weren't going to be really hurt by this shitty law.
Or the example of almost every other developed country in the world. As United States citizens though we feel that world revolves around us and are compelled to reinvent the wheel on every issue. Here is a map, the countries in green all have some sort of universal healthcare plan. The US is an interesting anomaly though as most grey countires usually pay less per capita than green countries. However the United States government, who has no universal healthcare, already pays more per capita for health care than any other country in the world except Norway and the Netherlands. http://www.theatlantic.com/internat...-health-care-americas-still-not-on-it/259153/
