The CA law is kind of BS. My partner went to see doc, they ran a few tests, told her it would probably be covered by insurance and then we got a bill for $1700. They said it wasn't "surprise" bill because it wasn't out of network. I told them "it is a surprise to us!"
From then on, we always ask the cost of every single test/procedure. (In fairness to the hospital, they did give us a $50/month, interest free payment plan.)
Since nobody put it, I've been fully remote for the past 5 years, used to live in San Diego but 2 years ago moved up to SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA.
Great small town, 30 minute scenic drive down to Costco/Trader Joes in Carson City. Reno airport is 1 hour away.
There are tech meetups here and tech community at the local CoWork Tahoe co-working space is thriving.
Winters are epic: take a long lunch, do a few laps up at Heavenly, be back in time for a 2pm call. Do a late start every other week and get a half-day in down at Kirkwood.
Summers are crowded but once you get on a trail there's nobody around.
Spring and Fall are quiet and you feel like you have the place to yourself.
Only down side is still paying CA taxes, stings more when Nevada is 2 miles from my house...
I've always wondered why more attention isn't paid to this. A driver's ability to make a decision to run over a possible assailant is a huge deterrent that is not fully appreciated. To an autonomous vehicle all people will look the same and they will have to stop.
I'm most curious about the self-driving trucks. If they are driving across the country through sparsely populated areas, what is to stop a group of robbers from making a chain on the road that forces the autonomous truck to stop and then offloading the cargo? Legally, this would not be considered "robbery" since there is no person involved. As anybody who has driven is USA knows, time and distance would be on your side in the crime as there are tons of backroads and different routes to make a clean getaway...
From then on, we always ask the cost of every single test/procedure. (In fairness to the hospital, they did give us a $50/month, interest free payment plan.)