While we pay above average for top tier talent on Upwork, it still makes me wonder how Freelancers cover their healthcare costs (if at all?).
The Freelancer Union, mentioned in the article, seems like a good start. Could they collectively pool funds to get high-deductible coverage for ~$200 per month?
At age 33, I pay 30 USD per month for 100% coverage of any illness, up to 30,000 USD per year, which is enough even for cancer. That's in Hong Kong.
The only problem is American prices. Socialized healthcare is not needed as long as prices are reasonable.
If I was an American I'd probably just fly to Thailand for any serious health issues because the cost of flight ticket plus treatment would be significantly less than in the US.
For most people, that may work, but for many with chronic conditions, most of their cost is medicine to maintain their health, not treatment. (and some medicines could blow through that $30k cap quickly)
Warning. If you do get sick with cancer do not travel to the US. 2 DAYS in the Emergency room could cost 30k. You would be setup for immediate bankruptcy.
Simply because insurance corporations have shareholders to serve. There's just no incentive for insurers to lower prices.
It's the nature of corporations to maximize profit. That can be a good thing, but not when health and lives are at stake, which is something that lower class conservatives don't understand the economics of, and upper class business owners profit off of. It's an ugly emergent property of the system we've built.
> "If I was an American I'd probably just fly to Thailand for any serious health issues because the cost of flight ticket plus treatment would be significantly less than in the US."
What you're describing is called "medical tourism" and it is slowly becoming more popular in the USA but still a fairly niche and underground idea.
I cover my healthcare costs by adding it into my bill rate. Same way I pay for every other employee benefit I don't get as a contractor (like vacation, disability, 401k match, software/hardware, SE Tax, etc).
If you are wondering how they cover their healthcare costs then your 'above average' must not be very much. My US insurance was subsidized due to low income but it still cost $300 per month, with the medication and fees the total was over $400.
The Freelancer Union, mentioned in the article, seems like a good start. Could they collectively pool funds to get high-deductible coverage for ~$200 per month?