Minimum comfortable income for STX

Just like I subsidize my parents and subsidized my grandparents health care.,,, and my employer subsidizes mine ...and your employer subsidizes yours. Not charity.

With that said, if my employers overtime had provided health care savings plan contributions rather than health insurance - I would have had enough money to fund my health care needs until Medicare without insurance and risk pools. Barring catastrophes of course.

But that's not how it works. The health care payment system is based on equity, not self-sufficiency.

Obviously, equity is not understood or valued by the white guys in charge. So we all must plan accordingly and unfortunately for the time being. Health care will never be free - and I happily pay for equitable access. It's the inability to have access that's the issue.

Sounds like charity

Also I believe that you are older. It must be nice to have all those health young folks subsidizing your healthcare...

Your employer doesn't subsidize your healthcare, its part of your compensation package.

I believe that you are bringing up Medicare, not sure why

Just like I subsidize my parents and subsidized my grandparents health care.,,, and my employer subsidizes mine ...and your employer subsidizes yours. Not charity.

With that said, if my employers overtime had provided health care savings plan contributions rather than health insurance - I would have had enough money to fund my health care needs until Medicare without insurance and risk pools. Barring catastrophes of course.

But that's not how it works. The health care payment system is based on equity, not self-sufficiency.

Obviously, equity is not understood or valued by the white guys in charge. So we all must plan accordingly and unfortunately for the time being. Health care will never be free - and I happily pay for equitable access. It's the inability to have access that's the issue.

Sounds like charity

Also I believe that you are older. It must be nice to have all those health young folks subsidizing your healthcare...

My employer self funds/underwrites insurance claims. The company on my insurance card manages that for my employer.

Medicare is not touched by changes to the ACA. It's a different system of care and different discussion.

Your employer doesn't subsidize your healthcare, its part of your compensation package.

I believe that you are bringing up Medicare, not sure why

Just like I subsidize my parents and subsidized my grandparents health care.,,, and my employer subsidizes mine ...and your employer subsidizes yours. Not charity.

With that said, if my employers overtime had provided health care savings plan contributions rather than health insurance - I would have had enough money to fund my health care needs until Medicare without insurance and risk pools. Barring catastrophes of course.

But that's not how it works. The health care payment system is based on equity, not self-sufficiency.

Obviously, equity is not understood or valued by the white guys in charge. So we all must plan accordingly and unfortunately for the time being. Health care will never be free - and I happily pay for equitable access. It's the inability to have access that's the issue.

Sounds like charity

Also I believe that you are older. It must be nice to have all those health young folks subsidizing your healthcare...

So,....Health Insurance debate aside,......It sounds like $75,000-$100,000/year is what is required for a single person to live modestly and comfortably in STX. For all the dreamers out there,....what kinds of jobs are available that generat this amount of income?

I've just accepted an informal offer of $70K/year. But I'm a professor of Computer Science and will be working at the University on STX. Other posts on these forums imply that life on the other two islands are even higher cost.

I know that health/dental/vision is part of my deductible, and my required, pre-tax deductible for retirement is 8% through TIAA-CREF. I should say that, before reading this thread, I was a little worried about cost of living. My fears are assuaged slightly, so thanks for the thread.

Obviously, equity is not understood or valued by the white guys in charge. So we all must plan accordingly and unfortunately for the time being. Health care will never be free - and I happily pay for equitable access. It's the inability to have access that's the issue.

Sounds like charity

Also I believe that you are older. It must be nice to have all those health young folks subsidizing your healthcare...

I'm older. For decades, my insurance premiums went into the pool to cover my older coworkers. But back then the concept of insurance was understood, and there wasn't an "I Got Mine, The He!! With You" attitude, so nobody whined about it.

My employer self funds/underwrites insurance claims. The company on my insurance card manages that for my employer.

Medicare is not touched by changes to the ACA. It's a different system of care and different discussion.

Its still part of your compensation package, whether you like it or not

And like I said, not sure why you brought it up...

Obviously, equity is not understood or valued by the white guys in charge. So we all must plan accordingly and unfortunately for the time being. Health care will never be free - and I happily pay for equitable access. It's the inability to have access that's the issue.

Sounds like charity

Also I believe that you are older. It must be nice to have all those health young folks subsidizing your healthcare...

I'm older. For decades, my insurance premiums went into the pool to cover my older coworkers. But back then the concept of insurance was understood, and there wasn't an "I Got Mine, The He!! With You" attitude, so nobody whined about it.

Comparing the demands older generations place on Medical usage Vs today is folly.

You'll get yours, everyone else will get stiffed

not even. seriously

So,....Health Insurance debate aside,......It sounds like $75,000-$100,000/year is what is required for a single person to live modestly and comfortably in STX. For all the dreamers out there,....what kinds of jobs are available that generat this amount of income? Can dreamers who hope to work in the service industry really make a go of it in the islands? Sounds like a big no, unless bar tending pays a lot more there than in the States

Payment toward future Medicare benefit is not part of my compensation package - it's a tax shared between my employer and me.

My employer self funds/underwrites insurance claims. The company on my insurance card manages that for my employer.

Medicare is not touched by changes to the ACA. It's a different system of care and different discussion.

Its still part of your compensation package, whether you like it or not

And like I said, not sure why you brought it up...

Again your employer covering your claims is part of your compensation package

My point about "Bringing it up" was in respect to Medicare. Since you agreed that it wasn't part of Obamacare it made no sense other than creating a strawman

I'm older. For decades, my insurance premiums went into the pool to cover my older coworkers. But back then the concept of insurance was understood, and there wasn't an "I Got Mine, The He!! With You" attitude, so nobody whined about it.

Back then, your pool was made up of fellow co-workers who were all paying into the pool. All were stake holders. All weren't paying the same and all didn't have the same coverage, premiums varied, coverage varied and deductibles varied. The bottom line is that all the members contributed.

Progressives would like to form a pool of everyone in the country. Single payer funded by taxes. The problem is that today 45-50% of citizens pay no income tax. So your new pool would cover everyone, everyone gets the same coverage regardless of what you pay, and only 50-55% of the people pay for everyone.

That is not a pool that I want to join. Freedom of association. But progressives think that we should all be forced into the pool whether we like it or not.

Part of the problem is that I would like to move toward a society where people are required to be more responsible for their actions, progressives would like to remove responsibility and require everyone to take responsibility for others even though we have no control of their actions.

As an example. Whenever you mention requiring people to be responsible for their actions you will always get a child hardship story as an example.

The wreck that people may have had last week could be a child being born with a preexisting condition. Charity? Let's all become the king cheeto

When I hear a story like this my first thought is that responsible parents would have insurance if they were having a child and this would be covered.

Why don't we require parents to be responsible? If someone wants to have a child shouldn't they be expected to be able to provide for the child? Housing, food, health care? Should irresponsibility be rewarded or punished?

My feeling is that the child should be taken care of and the parents should be punished or at the very least they shouldn't benefit from being irresponsible.

With medicare and social security at least people are expected to contribute something in order to qualify for benefits, not so with single-payer health care for all.

Not a strawman, access to Medicare is a mark in time when the health care clock resets. That was my intent.

My compensation package includes the piece of my insurance premium paid for by my employer - about $650 per month. Thus, if I make $1,000 per month my compensation package with health care is $1,650.

Any claim is paid for from a risk pool created by those monthly contributions made by my employer and its employees. With a self-funded risk pool, my employer takes on the risk of paying claims in excess of the amount of money in that pool rather than an insurance company.

Again your employer covering your claims is part of your compensation package

My point about "Bringing it up" was in respect to Medicare. Since you agreed that it wasn't part of Obamacare it made no sense other than creating a strawman

Wow! Never thought my simple post would turn into a Congessional Debate!

I'm just trying to figure out if a nursing salary is enough to live comfortably on STX.

I'm still debating the move. If a nurses salary, which is much less than $100,000 even on the Mainland, is not adequate to live comfortably, then no move. If the Government goes bankrupt,.....not a good time for a move. If the hospital can't pay its bills and can't fix a sewer problem,..not a good time for a move.

A salary of $50-60K would be adequate as long as you have employer provided benefits and savings to back you up. The government has been going bankrupt for many many years - if the feds step in, all for the better.

The hospitals have old infrastructure for sure and can't pay their bills. Since the VI is part of the US labor system, you'll get paid. The greater concern is hospital politics but that's everywhere.

Put your stuff in storage and don't move everything until you're satisfied you can adjust to island life. Make sure you rent a furnished place that is nice - with a good breeze, air conditioning and maybe a view. Pay more than you plan if you have to. The heat, bugs and barking dogs take out a lot of newcomers.

I'm still debating the move. If a nurses salary, which is much less than $100,000 even on the Mainland, is not adequate to live comfortably, then no move. If the Government goes bankrupt,.....not a good time for a move. If the hospital can't pay its bills and can't fix a sewer problem,..not a good time for a move.

YES

I'm just trying to figure out if a nursing salary is enough to live comfortably on STX.

I'm surprised you'd be worried about living on 100k.

The government has been going bankrupt for many many years - if the feds step in, all for the better

The government had Hovic/Hovensa over most of that time period - the current situation is nowhere near the same

What the Feds do with PR will provide the info as to how they'll handle other bankruptcies.

Recession, EDC program, Hovensa closing and PROMESA have made it harder to kick the can down the road.

VI structural deficits have accumulated for a very long time.

http://stthomassource.com/content/2017/04/10/the-v-i-budget-crisis-how-did-we-get-here-how-do-we-get-out/

The government has been going bankrupt for many many years - if the feds step in, all for the better

The government had Hovic/Hovensa over most of that time period - the current situation is nowhere near the same

What the Feds do with PR will provide the info as to how they'll handle other bankruptcies.

I'm surprised you'd be worried about living on 100k.

I worried about living on substantially less than $100,000.00

I'm surprised you'd be worried about living on 100k.

I worried about living on substantially less than $100,000.00

Here's a simple formula you can use to answer your original question: Take the amount you need to maintain YOUR MINIMUM LIFESTYLE where you now reside. Add 30 % to that number and you'll have a good idea of how much you'll need to support that lifestyle in the USVI's.

And, don't fool yourself into believing you can s[end less if you live a "simpler" lifestyle when you get to the Caribbean. Life in the Caribbean is not simple as island life has it's own set of challenges and most of them cost money. Everything moves slower but costs more.

Good luck making your decision.

Well,...since nurses generally work three 12 hour shifts a week. I suppose, if necessary, a second "fun" job a couple days a week will provide fun money.

Did you move to STX & get a nursing job? My wife & family are considering it too & she's an RN.