Employers started offering health insurance benefits about 60 years ago, not because they were expert in medical issues, but as a way to get around wage and price controls implemented by government. They could not offer higher wages to attract the best workers ….so they offered health insurance benefits. The government (IRS) ruled that workers didn’t have to pay income tax on health insurance benefits. The Government (elected members of Congress) passed laws to allow businesses to consider the cost of health insurance to the employer as a business related expense. This system became the norm.
Next we will delve into the “Law of Unintended Consequences”
..........or...”We Are From THE GOVERNMENT, and we are here to Help You”
We'll get taxpayer funded universal healthcare when the business sector demands it. With rising healthcare coverage costs, that time is not too far off, regardless of Obamacare.
As for mandating that individuals buy health insurance, that should obviously dropped ASAP, but only at the time a new law is passed that relieves hospitals and ER's from the obligation to treat individuals who have no means to pay. Passing the cost on to the rest of us is unacceptable.