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A comment on Uber Drivers Are Contractors, Not Employees, Labor Board Says. Parent comment

Re:Uber Drivers Are Contractors, Not Employees, Labor Board ... by astrange on Tuesday May 14, 2019 @11:20PM (#19916134)
Insurance only gets cheaper the larger the company gets, because the risk pool can absorb more risk. Competition doesn't improve it.

A giant problem with getting healthcare through insurance companies is that it's not actually insurance. Insurance should only be used to pay out in catastrophic cases; it's always cheaper to pay for something predictable yourself than to make an insurance claim.

Of course, most people can't afford any healthcare at all. There's no way to insure that.

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Re:Uber Drivers Are Contractors, Not Employees, Labor Board ... by isostatic on Wednesday May 15, 2019 @03:52AM (#19917236)
Don’t seem to have the problem in the UK. Everyone has healthcare. Those that can afford to (or their companies) top up with swanky perks, but it’s not needed for most.

Total cost is $2800 per person per year.

In the US it would cost $950b to provide that for everyone.

The US currently spends $1077b on Medicare/Medicaid.

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Re:Uber Drivers Are Contractors, Not Employees, Labor Board ... by vidarh on Wednesday May 15, 2019 @04:50AM (#19917511)
Just imagine what the US could have if it fixed its pricing issues and regulations and kept spending the insane amounts they do today...
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