You are a little out of touch Graham. You can't always compare everything to yourself.

While I was a computer contractor, I and many of my peers were incorporated and had to pay our own taxes, insurance, etc. I didn't need the insurance but many guys were paying on average $260 a month for themselves. A guy who wanted insurance for his wife and himself would pay in the range of around $400 a month. I have known guys who insured their whole familes and this is in the range of $700-$800 a month for a good plan.

You're coverage at work is different. You just make a small partial payment. Company pays the rest. Plus big companies get bulk group rates. Also you can't compare the rates for a young college guy to a 35-40 year old guy. Then add on the cost of the family. It's very expensive.

That's what it is Graham. Maybe it is more expensive in the NY area. I don't know. There could be regional prices.

I had 7 stitches put in me a few months ago and I saw the bills. Everything with an x-ray came to about $1800. That is out of control. (One charge was $220 for some prick to look at the x-ray for 5 seconds) There is rampant fraud and price gouging in the medical profession. Plus all the forms insurance companies require means doctors have to hire more people to process this shit...which means the rates go up..and so on and so on....