Spanky
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Employers are taking steps to reduce health insurance costs by shifting more costs to the employees. Healthcare insurance companies are starting to offer low-cost (or "consumer-driven") insurance by raising the deductible (or out-of pocket) amount. It is plausible that the Government could provide socialized medicine at the expense of higher income tax if necessary. The likelihood of that from happening is remote since most people believe that they are already paying too much. The average cost of health insurance for an employer is about $6,700. Why not just raise the salary by that amount to obviate the need to provide health benefits for employees? This may bring insurance cost down since insurance companies must become competitive to attract buyers. One possible drawback is that people may opt out for insurance all together to save money.