#2 is irrelevant in MA. MA already has Obama/Romneycare.
It's not quite that simple. One, the plans offered through the MA Connector may not be as inexpensive as plans negotiated by an employer, so you may wind up paying more for the same coverage. There's alao the issue of finding a plan with doctors in the same network, you may find yourself paying a little more if you have a favorite doctor treating you for a pre-existing condition.
Also, you are only allowed to enroll in MA Connector plans during one (maybe two) "open enrollment" periods during the year, so you may be faced with a gap between losing insurance coverage after quiting a job before being able to enroll in a new plan. Of course there is always COBRA, but again the amount you pay out-of-pocket for the premiums go way up.
But you are correct that insurance co's in MA generally can't reject you for pre-existing conditions.
There is no gap because COBRA covers you (costs go up precisely 1%) until the next open enrollment. As for "open enrollment", this just means you need to start your business in July.
Anechoic is right - anyone claiming they can't start a business in MA due to employer sponsored healthcare is just making excuses.
See also "I'm a fatass because I don't have time to exercise", "I have no girlfriend because all the girls I don't ask out would say no anway", "I'm underpaid because all other companies would pay me the same, not that I actually interviewed."
When I was on COBRA, my out-of-pocket costs went up significantly more than 1% (compared to what I was paying for the same policy when I was employed).
Anechoic is right - anyone claiming they can't start a business in MA due to employer sponsored healthcare is just making excuses.
Your out of pocket costs may have gone up, but that's an arbitrary distinction. The total cost of cobra is precisely 101% of the cost of health insurance provided to your employer.
Now, it's possible your employer was giving you $Z worth of benefits but making you deduct $Y from your wages for it, and $Z > $Y. All this means is that your comp (and hence the opportunity cost of starting a business) was higher than you realized.
It's not quite that simple. One, the plans offered through the MA Connector may not be as inexpensive as plans negotiated by an employer, so you may wind up paying more for the same coverage. There's alao the issue of finding a plan with doctors in the same network, you may find yourself paying a little more if you have a favorite doctor treating you for a pre-existing condition.
Also, you are only allowed to enroll in MA Connector plans during one (maybe two) "open enrollment" periods during the year, so you may be faced with a gap between losing insurance coverage after quiting a job before being able to enroll in a new plan. Of course there is always COBRA, but again the amount you pay out-of-pocket for the premiums go way up.
But you are correct that insurance co's in MA generally can't reject you for pre-existing conditions.