Health Insurance - affordability and the "Free Market'

Median U.S. household income = $52,029

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html - US Census - 2008

Average Family health insurance policy cost =
**** Single *Family
2000 $2,471 $6,438
2001 $2,689 $7,061
2002 $3,083 $8,003
2003 $3,383 $9,068
2004 $3,695 $9,950
2005 $4,024 $10,880
2006 $4,242 $11,480
2007 $4,479 $12,106
2008 $4,704 $12,680
2009 $4,824 $13,375

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2009-09-15-insurance-costs_N.htm -

per Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust survey.

It’s unclear to me how many people really believe that amongst those “average families” which have more than 1 member that they could on average afford to pay 25% of their gross income for health insurance?

The “Free Market” doesn’t and won’t make health insurance affordable.

Some other interesting data – much more is easily findable on the internet.
Store Owner / Operator
$38,661 - $103,455

http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Owner_%2F_Operator,_Small_Business/Salary

Answers.com > Wiki Answers > Categories > Business & Finance > Business > Small Business and Entrepreneurship

> What was the average income for small business owners in 2005?
Business Advisor & Tax CPA Helping Build Better Businesses
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Salary.com did a survey in 2006 of business owners and CEO's salaries. The survey shows that the average income is around $233,000. Note that this salary is in fact under the threshold that Obama would raise taxes on, so Obama will not raise taxes on the average small business owner. Also, this survey defined "small" as having 500 employees or less which is fairly liberal and certainly not what most Americans think of as a small business.

I believe this is incorrect:
I believe its $258,400.

"According to the survey, the national average salary for the CEO/Partner/Owner job function is $258,400"

I also believe Obama's threshold is $250k/$200k (Family/Single)

An important note also is that 98.1% percent of small-business filers have income too low to be subject to either of the top two tax rates. Since the floor of these is below $250,000, then 98.1% of small business filers will not see any increase with Obamas plan.

http://www.cbpp.org/8-29-08tax.htm
Read more: http://wiki.answers.com

/Q/What_was_the_average_income_for_small_business_owners_in_2005#ixzz1EEBXzHPN
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_was_the_average_income_for_small_business_owners_in_2005
Effect of the high income tax cuts on business owners and the wealthy – see
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3251
Average income of Subchapter S – small businesses by business type – shows 2007 averages a number of whom are well under $100,000/year
http://smallbiztrends.com/2010/11/how-much-money-do-small-business-owners-make.html