As an outsider living in a country with socialised healthcare, the US's healthcare system honestly scares me enough to consider not working there.
I understand that insurance is almost always provided by jobs and that it can be comprehensive if the job is decent, but I still fear the risk that some set of circumstances may conspire to leave me uncovered for something, or that the insurance situation might be sticky enough that although I am 'covered', I must wear the out-of-pocket costs whilst fighting to get reimbursed. Yes, I'm paying it every year and may never use it but the nature of insurance is that I'm Doing It Right if I never have to use it.
I also struggle to align myself with the attitude that 1.5-2.5% of my wage is worth more than the safety net that I and my fellow countrymen can rely on to be mostly protected from most life-threatening health issues if and when they need it. To me, the well-being of all of the people in my society (no matter how poor or rich) is worth 1.5-2.5% of my wage.
It's certainly fascinating looking in from the outside as the US wrestles with topics such as universal healthcare, gun laws, etc. It strikes me as stemming from core philosophic viewpoints that seem to be ingrained in the US psyche but absent from many other western nations.
In the end, I'm very grateful that I live somewhere with socialised universal healthcare.
I understand that insurance is almost always provided by jobs and that it can be comprehensive if the job is decent, but I still fear the risk that some set of circumstances may conspire to leave me uncovered for something, or that the insurance situation might be sticky enough that although I am 'covered', I must wear the out-of-pocket costs whilst fighting to get reimbursed. Yes, I'm paying it every year and may never use it but the nature of insurance is that I'm Doing It Right if I never have to use it.
I also struggle to align myself with the attitude that 1.5-2.5% of my wage is worth more than the safety net that I and my fellow countrymen can rely on to be mostly protected from most life-threatening health issues if and when they need it. To me, the well-being of all of the people in my society (no matter how poor or rich) is worth 1.5-2.5% of my wage.
It's certainly fascinating looking in from the outside as the US wrestles with topics such as universal healthcare, gun laws, etc. It strikes me as stemming from core philosophic viewpoints that seem to be ingrained in the US psyche but absent from many other western nations.
In the end, I'm very grateful that I live somewhere with socialised universal healthcare.