My partner and I are getting into programming, with the goal of leaving the US. My primary motivation for this is seeking universal healthcare – my family doesn’t have the best health history, and so I feel like I’m running against the clock to have a decent security plan in place before I get sick too. I still have a good 15-20 years, but it’s a big consideration.
One thing I’m often told is that we should stay in the US because the tech salaries are better. And I just… don’t understand this mindset at all. I’ve seen what happens when you get disabled here while making even 6 figures – it’s NOT pretty. God forbid you happen to be switching jobs when you’re diagnosed – we lost our house, and my mom lost her entire retirement savings, on top of being disabled for life. There’s no safety.
Are those in the $100-300k range just ignoring this possibility? Or is there some insurance plan or backup I otherwise don’t know about? Because as it stands, I could give a damn about the income if my quality of life could be taken away at a moments notice, just for getting ill.