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Comment by aaronbrethorst | Hacker News Reader

I think that being able to leave a job and still have the same health care would be transformative for entrepreneurialism in the United States.

I’ve known lots of folks over the years who’ve felt tied down to a job because they were the only member of their family to have health insurance, and they couldn’t afford to risk their spouse or children getting sick.

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I think that's a big reason so many non-insurance companies are fighting against the idea of universal healthcare for all citizens, they like having this tremendous power/leverage over their employees.

That's interesting. I've wondered for a long time why non-healthcare industries don't lobby hard for universal healthcare. It's a huge cost and administrative nightmare.

This. When I lost my job in 2013, I considered making an attempt at a freelance/contract career. That stopped when I got a rejection letter (not an increase in price, a full-stop rejection) from my preferred open market insurance provider. (And it was for being too skinny.)

My insurance isn't great, but I hit my copay (and Out-of-pocket-max) for the year in January, so I'm locked in for the year.<br><br>Come to think about it, maybe this is part of the plan for High Deductible plans.

Ugh this is so true. The high-deductible plans are designed to both reduce costs to employers and also keep employees locked in due to high out of pocket max.

At this point we are just paying to avoid the Obamacare tax penalty.

There is no tax penalty https://www.healthcare.gov/fees/fee-for-not-being-covered/

Yes I know not any more after tax year 2018.

Agreed. There's actually a term for it: Job lock. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Job_lock

You don't think you still would be paying for it, just because you loose the choice of whom your paying?

I have no idea what you're trying to say.

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