nielsk
nielsk

Serious question: if healthcare insurance is usually provided through the job in the US: what happens when you become unable to work (case A: accident at work, case B: accident outside of work, case C: sudden development of some serious disease)?

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jean
jean

@nielsk Assuming your employer fires you after the accident/disease onset: A) Workmen's comp. if you're at a large enough employer that carries that insurance. Then 18 months of insurance you have to pay for yourself (COBRA). 2) 18 months of COBRA. 3) Same as 2).

States have a program to insure the indigent and children to varying degrees. The Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) helps people who can't get private insurance or make too much money for state aid.

Translation: It's a huge mess. I haven't been an employee since 1998. At first, I joined a professional tech association that could offer insurance that I paid for. Then that association denied the insurance "benefit" to companies of one person. I have pre-existing conditions that made me ineligible for private insurance when I appied. I almost joined the state insurance pool, but the association's insurer started offering individual plans. Every year there is considerable anxiety over what will happen next. Thankfully I was able to apply for Obamacare, when I started making less money, otherwise I'd be totally broke. In a few years, I'll qualify for the senior citizen national plan, aka Medicare.

I'm no expert, I just have 22 years of experience sorting this out every year. I'm sure there are details I don't know. Be thankful for your social net!

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nielsk
nielsk

@macgenie thanks a lot
I am very grateful for our social security net.

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In reply to
agilelisa
agilelisa

@macgenie I have almost exactly the same healthcare story. I give thanks for Obamacare every single day. Just under 5 years to go to Medicare and praying that we have no serious illness before then.

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jean
jean

@agilelisa What a system. 😞

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jean
jean

@agilelisa I remember when I was 30, and between jobs in NYC. I had 3 months without insurance, and each day I was super careful not to trip or get injured in the subway. Insane.

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nielsk
nielsk

@macgenie reading your and the reply from @agilelisa I really hope for the US public that there will be a universal healthcare system in the future. We have a mixed public/private insurance system (if you earn enough you can opt out of the public one and insure in the private system which will become more expensive when you are older; or the public system does not cover everything or not always the best options then you can additionally get insurance through the private insurances - examples are getting a two-bed or single-bed room in a hospital, additional dental insurance, stuff like this) and it would be good if at least something like this would come to the US. Even though I am for a completely public system where no one can opt out and you could only get "extras" through the private system. Because especially the good risks (young and earning lots of money) move to the private system and we have capped the amount of money you pay into the insurance system -- when you earn a lot you suddenly do not pay more. Before that cap you pay 15% of your gross wage and your employer pays 15%.

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nielsk
nielsk

@macgenie oh and my children are automatically insured through me and when my wife doesn't earn enough (or I do not but she does) she gets insured through me. If we both do not earn enough, the insurance is completely paid through the social security system.

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jean
jean

@nielsk That reveals one of the hazards of being single.

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