From a reader:
So my wife just got laid off and I discover that our health care ends at the end of the month. We can buy continuing coverage but its not cheap (at $15K/year) and it is only for a limited length of time.
At the moment I am working half time on a start up of my own and the rest of the time part time for another company. So unless I can persuade my half time employer to give me benefits, I will probably have to go back to working full time just to get healthcare.
Wouldn't it be better for the economy if I could work on my startup without having to worry about healthcare? The last startup I worked on grew to employ over 3,500 people over time, three quarters of whom were in the US.
The crazy US healthcare system is not just bad for people, it is terrible for businesses. The biggest element in the bankruptcies of GM and Chrysler was the cost of the retirees health care plans. If I take on employees in my business I am going to have to be thinking about health plans.
