Heath Insurance.

I just re-read the VI Health Plan - the business tax of 10% is on GROSS PAYROLL. You might take another look. Self employed pay 5% with caps (though high $24K individual or $36K family).

Recognize this is just a proposal please.

Health care in the VI is sadly broken beyond simple repair.

If I were king, I would sell the hospitals to private enterprise and use the proceeds to restructure delivery of care and how it's paid for.

Folks, first thank you for taking the time to reply! @Old Tart, It's OK if people's replies seem pessimistic I want the truth and all that comes with it. I think we'll stay in Colorado for now and just come down and drink beer with all you fine folks! 🙂

Folks, first thank you for taking the time to reply! @Old Tart, It's OK if people's replies seem pessimistic I want the truth and all that comes with it. I think we'll stay in Colorado for now and just come down and drink beer with all you fine folks! 🙂

Opinion is not truth. Remember that when you watch Fox.

STTsailor,

Have you ever lived or know of anyone who's lived and run a business in Costa Rica, Belize or Panama as an expat US citizen? A little knowledge might surprise you.

I'm a fan of Bernie Saunders but if you knew more about the huge rate of taxation in Sweden and Denmark, you might realize that the luxury you perceive of the life there is just that - a luxury which everyone pays through the nose for.

Of course the balance in the US has shifted and the middle class has essentially gone the way of the dodo. There's no question that the rich continue to get richer and the poor get poorer and drastic change has to be made to shift that balance. The USVI simply mirrors the ills which plague the US and until the US policy changes it'll remain so. Blaming everything wrong here solely on the premise that the USVI is some sort of banana republic is shortsighted.

OT,
I personally know several expats running business from Costa Rica. Lots of stuff can be done remotely via Internet. A friend of mine relocated his entire family there about 8 years ago. He is an energy trader. All he needs is his laptop. Another one does technical writing. Lots of work can be done remotely nowadays. It is nearly impossible to get work permit there but as long as you do not compete with locals for jobs you are fine operating in grey area.

As to Scandinavia I am very familiar with their taxation rates. They top at 60% for some high earners. But once you factor all burden of US taxation system including fed, state, local, Medicare SSI top paycheck earners in US are nudging 50% in California or NYC.

US tax system works better for folks living off capital gains and investments (the wealthy).

Pricing in American healthcare is disengaged from value. It is also disengaged from cost of service.

Every service will be reimbursed differently by each insurance company. If you call the hospital and ask for a cash price of colonoscopy you will never get the answer. Because there is no single answer. The hospital will want as much money as it can get.

The hospital doesn't actually know what it's business cost of the colonoscopy is. When Ford builds Mustang Ford knows what it costs to make. The hospital doesn't. If the hospital operates at a loss it knows it can go to the state or Feds and show inflated price of services rendered, operating cost and recover the difference. If the hospital operates at a profit, the hospital builts marble and glass wing or starts concierge service or hires Iron Chief to design world class menus so it operates at break even.

What other business do you know that operates in this fashion?

But again, none of the points you raise are peculiar to the USVI which you referred to as a "banana republic".

I think we'll stay in Colorado for now and just come down and drink beer with all you fine folks! 🙂

Sounds like a good plan to me. Come often and stay as long as you like.

Opinion is not truth. Remember that when you watch Fox.

Nothing to remember. Pure entertainment.

msnbc has that style of entertainment