We'll the USA already has the highest corporate tax rate in the world. Maybe if they were paying less in taxes, startups would have more money for health insurance for their employees?
All entrepreneurs know that they can get better employee retention with health care policy. If companies could afford it, then would there not be a higher incentive to provide it?
That being said, I believe national health insurance is a good idea. Assuming government spending is significantly restricted in other areas.
Every business owner I've discussed this with -- and at this point I do have a statistically significant sample to work from -- isn't bothered by taxes nearly as much as they're bothered by not enough paying customers.
High taxes really only seems to be a problem for a certain class of businesses which are at the high end of the SME spectrum, and are already making good profit, and want to make more, but can't yet afford a creative accountant to exploit the kind of loopholes that our country's biggest businesses take advantage of.
We have a high corporate tax rate if you have terrible accountants. Almost EVERYTHING you do as a business drops your effective tax rate.
Then there is the whole S corp, I'm going to tax 3million in revenue at the 80k rate thing.... it isn't nearly as bad as that top number - take a look at effective rates and it isn't nearly as high as one would think
Startups don't forgo health insurance because it's expensive, they forgo it because purchasing health insurance is a gigantic, time-consuming pain in the ass.
The BLS lists benefits as roughly 30% of total compensation[1]. Much of that goes to healthcare.
So for a developer earning $100k in total compensation (say $70k salary, $30k benefits), healthcare costs for that one employee might be $25k+. Providing a good policy for employees (and their families) is expensive. Worth it to care for the team, but still expensive.
To the people skipping coverage in the US: it's stupid and not worth the risk. You may be healthy, but you cannot control everything that impacts your health. Infectous disease happens. Car crashes happen. Skipping coverage is playing Russian roulette.
That said, I'm young and am fortunate to still be covered under the policy of my parents. Perhaps the college years and shortly after are best for trying a startup--while family coverage is still in effect. Then, or after you're married to someone and are under his or her policy.
All entrepreneurs know that they can get better employee retention with health care policy. If companies could afford it, then would there not be a higher incentive to provide it?
That being said, I believe national health insurance is a good idea. Assuming government spending is significantly restricted in other areas.