How can Ted Cruz's health care plan be $40,000 a year

Factual Questions
21

Wesley Clark writes:

> . . . a homeless person in much of the western world has more reliable and
> affordable health care than all but the best off Americans . . .

Read your link. The health care plan that Goldman Sachs offers to Ted Cruz’s wife is almost certainly one of the best in the U.S. The Cruzes are among the best-off Americans. This isn’t because of Ted Cruz’s salary. As a mid-level executive at Goldman Sachs, Heidi Cruz probably makes much more than a Senator. As concierge medicine, the Goldman Sachs plan probably offers 24/7 opportunities to speak to your personal doctor, preventive care and lifestyle advice that no insurance company is going to give you, and longer time allowed for appointments with your personal doctor. I presume that concierge practices pay their doctors better and get the best doctors.

22

One thing to point out is that Ms Cruz is getting a large tax-free benefit from her employer and all the rest of you pay a bit extra in taxes to compensate. I think the tax-free status of those Cadillac plans is about to change.

Yes, there can be long waiting times for elective surgery here (and sometimes rather flexible definitions of what elective means, with hip and knee replacement heading the list), but I got operated on for a torn retina last Jan. 4, 7 days after diagnosis while the hospital was on full vacation status so that the outpatient surgery where this is normally done was closed. When they have to move fast they do. And it matters not if you are homeless. So while I am sure the Cruz’s do better than they would here, we are on average much better off. There are no deductibles and no copay.