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Comment by collegeburner | Hacker News Reader

then you can understand why those of us with better healthcare and money don't want to take a downgrade to a "universal" system that is better for ppl with no money but worse for others. most middle class ppl in America have decent healthcare as a job benefit so most of us don't want to change. this is why "if you like your doctor you can keep them" was an essential talking point for passing obamacare.

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Do you actually like having your health insurance tied to your employment?

To me it would be a huge worry if I lost a job and needed healthcare.

no. but i would rather good healthcare tied to employment then mediocre healthcare that's not. it doesn't seem like other countries have been able to achieve good healthcare not tied to employment so i think it's better to focus on liberalizing the market.

btw it was the ridiculous wage and price controls that led to employers adding healthcare as a benefit... so doesnt seem like more government gonna fix it.

I have both in the UK. There's the NHS when I need it, but I also have private medical insurance to top it up. I don't worry if I lose my job, I just won't have the shiniest hospitals with flowers in reception, and I'll have longer waiting times.

The quality of the medical care itself (once you get it - there are long waiting lists in the NHS now due to Covid) is really about the same.

We looked at Bupa. Is that what you have to supplement? We're earnestly interested in coming back to the UK. But our fear is having more children. It didn't seem like private made a difference in that case.

I had an inexplicable leg I couldn't walk on. I paid for all my x-rays and MRIs after waiting for the NHS for 6 months. If some 500 GBP supplement fixes these problems, that'd be great. As I understand, private health care in the UK is more for bedside manner and responsive GP phone calls than for anything substantial. But I'm selfishly interested in being wrong.

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