When I had extensive surgery done on my ankle about 6 years ago, my deductible was $1000 and then 50/50 for the next thousand. Otherwise I'd have paid almost $12,000 if I didn't have insurance. And with my son's special needs along with my wife and I's problems we end up meeting my deductible EVERY year.
I have no idea about Obamacare, however living in Canada, I pay roughly $130/month for healthcare and don't pay for any medical treatments other than ambulance rides. I've broken multiple bones in the past few years, had multiple x-rays and a few cat scans....never paid for any of it.
My sister was diagnosed with MS earlier this year. CT scans, spinal tap, treatments, etc etc were all paid for via her monthly payment that equals less than $1500/year. Without our healthcare, her and her BF would have had to take out a second mortgage, sell everything they own, and be truly poor trying to raise a young son, just to cover her expenses. They are 26yrs old and make healthy incomes in the oil and gas industries.
For that, I'm grateful for our healthcare. If yours is written anything like ours...you may have to wait to get a new knee(unless you wanna pay privately for it) but do you want to take up a Operating Room for your knee replacement when a brain surgery is waiting to use that same OR?
And company insurance is not mandatory, many employers do not offer any insurance coverage, although do pay a tax that matches what we pay, per employee. You'll notice we don't get as sick, take as many days off, or over burden our system nearly as much as our US counterparts.
Like I said, I dunno how Obamacare is written and what laws are coming for you guys, but as it is in Canada....it's not a terrible thing.
