Honest question: Why should your employer pay for your health care? (unemployment rate, how much)

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by desertdetroiter

There is nothing free about it. Employers and employees alike usually contribute. I've never heard of an employer offering free health care coverage.

It did used to be free.

Way back in the dark ages when you paid 80/20 and usually only had coverage for hospital bills..call it Major Medical.

I'd say right before the HMO's came about.

[Mircea]

Originally Posted by Sophiasmommy

I think about this quite often and always wonder why it's their responsibility to pay for your health care? You work for them, they pay you for that work; they don't pay for your rent/mortgage, car, food or credit cards, so why is it their responsibility to pay for your health care? I honestly don't get it. Thanks

That's a good question.

That all started when FDR froze all wages and prices. In order to attract good candidates for employment, employers were left with few options, since they could not offer higher wages. They started offering benefits.

One of those benefits was catastrophic health care coverage. The "health insurance" was expanded to cover emergency room visits in the 1950s, and then around 1960-61 the coverage expanded to include pregnancy/child-birth. Around 1978-79 the coverage began to expand to cover regular visits to the doctor's office.

Employers never really wanted it and they kind of got stuck with it. They've been looking to get from under it for a long time, and Obamacare will give them the excuse to dump "health insurance" benefits.

[desertdetroiter]

Originally Posted by HappyTexan

It did used to be free.

Way back in the dark ages when you paid 80/20 and usually only had coverage for hospital bills..call it Major Medical.

I'd say right before the HMO's came about.

Yea...that's true. But that's certainly not true today. My dad had the old 80/20, or some variation of it back in the day. Definitely Rolls Royce insurance. Those days are long gone.

[Boompa]

Originally Posted by Sophiasmommy

I think about this quite often and always wonder why it's their responsibility to pay for your health care? You work for them, they pay you for that work; they don't pay for your rent/mortgage, car, food or credit cards, so why is it their responsibility to pay for your health care? I honestly don't get it. Thanks

Making the point for single payer. Take the onus off the employer, all he would be ressponsible for is the payroll deduction to Medicare. That's one of the reasons European Countries beat us in competition

[Calvinist]

Originally Posted by Sophiasmommy

I think about this quite often and always wonder why it's their responsibility to pay for your health care? You work for them, they pay you for that work; they don't pay for your rent/mortgage, car, food or credit cards, so why is it their responsibility to pay for your health care? I honestly don't get it. Thanks

Because they offered it to me as part of the package that they would pay me in order to get me to work for them. When I worked for the cable company they gave me free cable, internet, and phone service.

My company also gives me a phone. Some companies give their employees use of a car. Does that mean the government should now provide that for everyone?

[lionking]

Originally Posted by Sophiasmommy

I think about this quite often and always wonder why it's their responsibility to pay for your health care? You work for them, they pay you for that work; they don't pay for your rent/mortgage, car, food or credit cards, so why is it their responsibility to pay for your health care? I honestly don't get it. Thanks

I'd like to ask why I am denied getting my own health care outside of a company group plan, and if I could the price triples or quadruples. Thr answer to why I can't could be because I have a history of melanoma and a company should be free to deny the risky, however where does that leave those people?

[Kirdik]

Originally Posted by Mircea

That all started when FDR froze all wages and prices. In order to attract good candidates for employment,
employers were left with few options, since they could not offer higher wages. They started offering benefits.

Employers never really wanted it and they kind of got stuck with it. They've been looking to get from under it for a long time,
and Obamacare will give them the excuse to dump "health insurance" benefits.

So Obama is undoing what FDR did? Hmm, interesting...

[Kirdik]

Originally Posted by Boompa

That's one of the reasons European Countries beat us in competition

The competition in what?

[expect]

because if they don't i'll just go to one that does.

[florida.bob]

Originally Posted by Sophiasmommy

I think about this quite often and always wonder why it's their responsibility to pay for your health care? You work for them, they pay you for that work; they don't pay for your rent/mortgage, car, food or credit cards, so why is it their responsibility to pay for your health care? I honestly don't get it. Thanks

Historically they provide health care as a part of the benefits to attract employees and keep them. In this day and age, the need for enticement to attract and keep employees, is significantly lower.