Startups are not the only entrepreneurial business.
Running a small business like a store, farm, etc without a spouse that carries the insurance is insane. Even businesses like bars and restaurants over time have tipped to larger or even public companies.
When I was a 1099 consultant, I had a heath issue that would have bankrupted us if my wife wasn’t working for a municipal government with good insurance.
You see more of these types of businesses in Europe.
I can say that my health insurance (as an independent worker with Healthcare.gov plan) costs more than my home mortgage and utilities combined. A significant amount more; and I still pay down a $10,000 deductible on top of that before any reimbursement kicks in.
Even as anecdata, I see a few issues with this comparison. For one, part of your mortgage payment is simply a repayment of loan principal, which is not a cost of living. Only the interest portion might be considered a legitimate household expense.
Second, with a $10K deductible, it sounds like you have a HDHP (high deductible health plan), of which the main feature is lower premiums, and also the ability to fund an HSA (health savings account) for additional tax savings.
Even with your deductible, a wide variety of basic and preventive health services are available for free to you under ACA's minimum essential coverage provision.
For example, see this list [0] for all adults, along with a similar ones specifically for women and children.
Running a small business like a store, farm, etc without a spouse that carries the insurance is insane. Even businesses like bars and restaurants over time have tipped to larger or even public companies.
When I was a 1099 consultant, I had a heath issue that would have bankrupted us if my wife wasn’t working for a municipal government with good insurance.
You see more of these types of businesses in Europe.