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Comment by Maarten88 | Hacker News Reader

> socialization of the health-care system shall produce the following [...]

It should also produce better health outcomes for the people living there. Maybe you have a well-paid job and good insurance plan, and can enjoy good healthcare now, but that is not the case for many others and can change for you if you are unlucky.

Even a very poor country like Cuba has higher life expectancy than the US. Most developed countries have better health outcomes than the US, while spending way way less on healthcare.

There may be deeper causes for this beyond the privatized healthcare system in the US, such as the legalized political corruption (lobbying, PAC's) and litigation law leading to huge overhead costs in everything. These will be even harder to change.

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We can moralize 2nd but fundament is always numbers.

To remind ~150K earners pay ~50% of CA taxes.

Let that sit in your mind 1st, then ask yourself if ~1/2 of those flee to where it is better for them, the effect is and can only be either or both; worsening of health care and/or further raising the taxes. This is known effect that happens. Major HighTech companies are disincentivized and are already taking difficult decision. The question is when the avalanche effect happens? If it happens or if it is gradual race to the socialist bottom, then you can moralize 'til the cows come home, but guess what they won't be coming back.

Silicon Valley CAN become Detroit and it is already on initial phases of the path in that direction, although still far. Capacity of derangement of the CA government is not yet reached and ~70% Blue is not making any constructive dialogue to balance things here.

I am high earner and for a while I can bear still ok health care here and then I could enjoy early retirement (i.e. freedom 55) with this new socialized HC while it is still "ok". After a while I guarantee it will go worse and even I will be forced to re-evaluate and possibly move.

> We can moralize 2nd but fundament is always numbers.

So you think it is moralizing to take people and fairness as the fundament? I certainly prefer that over numbers, if that makes me moralizing then so be it.

What you are implying is that you think the janitor (not an employee of course) of that hightech company who can't afford insurance does not deserve treatment when she gets hit by cancer. Paying for that would be too disincentivizing for the employees and shareholders, and the company should consider moving to another place that is more considerate of its needs.

I think the whole idea of poor people getting the same healthcare as rich people is really what is putting off many people in the US. Even if it would be better for everyone and have no downsides at all, it would still face opposition.

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