Plus it'll be easier for us to poach employees with families from big companies. I couldn't imagine what it would take to get someone with a preexisting condition at a startup.
You couldn't. I mean, speaking as the father of a child with kidney disease - forget it. Impossible. That freedom, the freedom to start a company even if your children are sick, is granted only to the very rich in this country.
Until - I hope - now. It remains to be seen how much hash was made of the bill during the sausage-making process.
Wow, that this problem exists in the US wasn't even on my radar. I could understand that you couldn't do a startup because you might be too sick yourself or have to spend time caring for a sick family member, but the financial aspects of it never crossed my mind. Being from a country with universal healthcare completely moves that out of the picture.
Now I understand why you guys on here think this is such a big deal to US startups.
This isn't really true. You can incorporate a company and as long as you have two US citizen employees, you can get a company health plan that bypasses pre-existing conditions. (This is true in California by law, but I am not sure about other states)
This is true only in the most technical sense -- health insurers are known for dropping entire small companies that have unusually high claims. The smaller the company, the faster they'll drop you.
We (DotSpots) are distributed and I'm up in Calgary, Alberta. Works well for the two of us up in Canada. It let me cofound the company and work for a while with no salary for some time without having to worry about my family's health.
Unfortunately it doesn't help much when hiring from the USA - the majority of our company is scattered around the states.
This is off topic but ARG. If you are in canada do not work without paying yourself a salary! If you have any investment rather pay yourself salary and claim 60-80% of your salary back under SR&EDs. Much better use of your money and you can even reinvest the money you took out if you absolutely have to (after deducting income tax that is).
Totally Irrelevant, but I come from both these places. Born in Calgary, recently moved to Vancouver. My nascent startup (Matygo) has yet to consider anything along the lines of health and dental etc.
Just curious, but understand if you don't want to share, is your "pre-existing condition" diabetes?
I know two people with Type 1 Diabetes that are basically stuck in their jobs due to their insurance situation. One has a PhD and works in a University lab, which he enjoys, except he had to turn down the opportunity to join a startup because it would've been financially impossible for him.
My pre-existing conditions are the #1 reason scaring me to start a business in the US.
Starting a business in the US is overall a lot easier than in Europe, but the advantage would be even greater if entrepreneurs wouldn't have to worry about health coverage.
