It was started by private enterprise during WWII to attract good workers.
With millions in the military, civilians were in short supply.
Perhaps you've heard of Rosie ...?
Posted on 03/16/2010 10:30:52 AM PDT by Andrea19
America’s healthcare system is so complex it needs its own dictionary just to define the verbose terminology. So how did it get this way? More specifically, why did we start obtaining health insurance through our employers instead of directly purchasing it on our own?....
(Excerpt) Read more at americanshareholders.org ...
I’ve thought about this a lot. Not tying it to employment means that losing one’s job doesn’t automatically mean losing coverage.
I do think that there should be a focus on insuring to cover large expenses, and catastrophe, like cancer, illness, etc., but paying out of pocket for office visits. Health Savings Account type do this, but there should be a more focus on this.
However, I’m not sure how we could legislate this sort of thing.
Benefit bidding war for hiring employees.
And since it is from employers there is a big incentive to “control costs” by abstractly imposing byzantine rules and procedures with the net effect of less coverage.
Never heard of health insurance until I had to sign a labor contract with it in the early 60s!
Before that it was everyone pays their own way!!!
I do think that there should be a focus on insuring to cover large expenses, and catastrophe, like cancer, illness, etc., but paying out of pocket for office visits. Health Savings Account type do this, but there should be a more focus on this.
Right
And an Urgent Care to go to for $5 for poor people.
And gee, maybe even an emergency room where there is not a 10 hour wait!
Wow
Think how modern and normal that would be!
Isn’t it great to live in America?
Well, for starters, not everyone can buy private insurance. Insurance companies won’t insure those with high risk factors unless compelled to do so via group agreements. My wife isn’t able to purchase private insurance because she has two clotting disorders, Factor V Leiden and Prothombrin 20210 both of which are likely to have been misspelled here.
Even if that weren’t the case, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I wouldn’t even consider a job without health insurance, and I’m sure I’m far from alone.
And I also think that having health insurance provided for you by your employer, or by your government is ripe for disaster. If it goes horribly wrong (which it will) then maybe people will say, "No more entitlement programs! I won't be a slave to your do-gooder schemes any more. I'll put my own money down for the things I want, thank you very much."
I do think that there should be a focus on insuring to cover large expenses, and catastrophe, like cancer, illness, etc., but paying out of pocket for office visits. Health Savings Account type do this, but there should be a more focus on this.
I agree. Force healthcare onto a cash and carry model for all but catastrophic care. Catastrophic Insurance is exceedingly cheap. So is using cash. Take the middleman out of it (that would include the obese middleman known as Govt) and we can realize substantial savings. A tort reform bill requiring looser pays all costs would go a long way towards reducing costs.
yeah, and how would you institute it? you think businesses would say “you’re all switching to private insurance, here’s a giant raise to make up for it?” no way. they’d add it to their bottom line. a huge reason i took my job, and the reason i keep it is the benefits. if it weren’t for them i’d be gone.
i agree that no business should be forced to offer insurance, but there’s no reason why it can’t be an incentive.
Fraught with too many problems. Chief amongst them, a defendant with deep pocketbooks (like any major hospital) could file for extension after extension, discovery upon expensive discovery, add one expensive expert witness (they don't do it for free) after anohter with the sole purpose of intimidating the plaintiff with an ever increasing legal bill in the event of a finding for the defendant. No thanks.
Fully paid health care is a factor in my choice of employment. It is a perk, like a company car, that keeps my employer from loosing me to competition. Simple Supply and Demand.
My insurance isn’t “given” to me by my employer - I buy it.
I do appreciate the purchasing power of being one over 10,000 workers in the purchasing pool, though!
take away the pre-tax benefit.
You’re right, but there’s more to it. It was started by private employers as a way to circumvent the wage controls imposed by the U.S. government during World War II. Companies began offering medical insurance because they couldn’t offer more cash income.
Do you get auto and homeowner’s insurance from your employer too? No? Why not? Furthermore... why would you want to?
Yes, a totally portable, consumer-driven system is the way to go. Would make job transitions easier and eliminate this “joblock” problem that Pelosi was bitching about a few days ago.
Can you buy any policy from any company you wish?
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