I'm getting shafted. Even if my employer did increase my salary by an equal amount that would be taxed as income. Also my premium went up about 4% over last year. Three years ago it actually went down. I'm not faced with the 20% or 30% or higher increases that people in the open market face because my employer self-funds health care costs and contracts with a company to manage it for them. Since they are dealing with a smaller population to ensure, they can better estimate costs. By providing it as a benefit they have no problem getting the younger and healthier employees to join. It's a win/win for my company and me, and one you would take away from both of us.
Your employer can offer you the group plan to purchase with your health benefit cash (I did say HSA, so no tax on your portion). Premiums are driven down with this move (competition/open market)(the whole point of changing the status quo). Your company could still get a tax benefit for giving you your health insurance cash benefit, depends on how the bill is written. Things need to change, people don’t care about medical care costs right now with most of them on employer managed plans, just “what’s the copay?” (Like “whats the monthly payment” in the car sales industry). When you are using you own cash to buy medical care & insurance it will drive down cost & increase quality. This needs to be combined with getting the govt. out of the market. Affordable/quality care for every working person.