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Comment by jleyank | Hacker News Reader

It's all well and good being entrepreneurial, but (in the US at least), health insurance has to be in the picture somewhere. Scavenging it from a parent or spouse, or just running barefoot, isn't a safe long-term strategy. Work it into the business plan, or work to change the business environment/law.

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> It's all well and good being entrepreneurial, but (in the US at least), health insurance has to be in the picture somewhere.

So does food and housing, but you don't see people scared of that.

I'm over 50 and overweight.

I paid much less for a very good single policy than I paid for rent.

> Work it into the business plan, or work to change the business environment/law.

Why should I pay for your health care while you start a biz?

Assuming the average startup founder is under 30, this is effectively a non-issue. When I was 24, I got a high-deductible PPO that covered almost everything for $40/mo. That's beer money.

My point is moot if you're starting at 40, of course.

Or if you have a family...

Sure, but that clearly falls into the domain of personal choice. If you make the decision to raise a family, you presumably do this with awareness of the costs, consequences, and compromises that are likely to result.

You don't ask for cancer( although lifestyle choices do contribute ), but you do choose to say "I do", and either "Let's make a babby" or "Let's keep it", so this is not a material concern with regard to ethical consequences of availability of health insurance to startup founders.

Yes, due to the problems of health care here in the US, you're forced to choose one or the other.

Or if you have employees...

Why would you have employees before you can afford them?

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