Some of our favorite developers have recently voiced their concern over something they treasure very much. Politics and Policy are not subjects we normally broach here in the hallowed halls of Touch Arcade, but when the mobile community is impacted by something, we like to put a little light on it.
In this article by Joseph Knnop with waypoint, he shares some personal stories as well as some very interesting corollaries between the indie dev boom of 2008 and the creation of the now endangered United States Affordable Care Act. He points out that their proximity in time is probably more than just coincidence. In 2015 over a quarter of American game developers were not provided with health care by their employer and that number is very much impacted by how much indie development has grown since 2008, in part by the availability of healthcare through the ACA.
Our very own editor-in-chief Eli Hodapp has also weighed in, sharing personally how important this issue is especially considering that both he and co-editor Jared Nelson are both dependent on the ACA for access to healthcare.
Some truly life saving events have occurred in our little corner of the world because of this legislation and we are so very thankful for those lives and what they have gone on to create. With the promise of continuing a government program in the spirit of the ACA, we remain hopeful that U.S. developers and all Americans continue to have the freedom to have access to healthcare. The weight of the alternative is too heavy to bear consideration.
