Healthcare, insurance, co-pays, deductibles, premiums, coverage; this is what applicants are asking about in interviews. Applicants aren’t asking about wages, nor bonuses or raises; they are asking about health insurance and healthcare. This is what our job market has come to. It’s become so twisted, so distorted that American workers are willing to work harder and make less if it means they and their families are medically insured.
Now think about that for a minute.
In the cradle of American innovation, workers are making career choices based on co-payments, pre-existing conditions and other minutiae of health insurance. They are not necessarily making decisions based on what would be best for their careers and, in turn, for the American economy — that is, “where their skills match and where they can grow the most,” as another Silicon Valley entrepreneur, Cyriac Roeding, says. Health insurance, Mr. Roeding adds, “is distorting the decision-making.” (NYTimes)
The New York Times ran in incredibly interesting piece the other day about the immense damage that healthcare is having on our society. Forget the healthcare debate in Washington, the 46 million without healthcare, the families and children who are dying without adequate treatment. Forgive me, but these are the small incidentals of our lacking healthcare system. For a second take a step back and look at the big picture, the picture that encompasses each and every one of us for the rest of our lives, our children’s lives, and probably our grandchildren’s lives as well. This is what we’re talking about now.
Millions of creative, innovative, and talented workers have refused to leave their current jobs for fear that they won’t get adequate healthcare if they quite. Millions of entrepreneurs who could be creating the next big thing to change the world have stayed in their dead-end jobs because of healthcare fears. The American dream has turned into a nightmare where progression and ideas have been cut-off so that a comfortable medical plan can be held on to.
Even before the financial crisis, the decade that will end later this month was on pace to have the slowest economic growth of any since before World War II. The No. 1 reason, I’d argue, was our innovation deficit. (NYTimes)
American innovators, and immigrant innovators, are terrified to take risks these days. People are afraid to change careers, take on different job opportunities, open new horizons where amazing things could happen. Joe Schmo down the street could have the next small businesses idea that could revitalize your neighborhood, but he is afraid to take the first step because he can’t afford the administrative costs of providing healthcare to his small clan of employees. Thus, Joe doesn’t forge ahead with his business plans, doesn’t take the risk, and the entire neighborhood suffers from it.
The New York Times interestingly points out that those who are married and covered by their partner’s medical insurance are more likely to take some risks and either work or start a small business because they feel assured by their partner’s coverage.
It is a sad state of affairs when the country of dreams and innovation is afraid to break from the mold and be truly American for fear they might lose healthcare coverage.
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