Lew Rockwell explains origin of employer-provided health insurance (90 sec. clip)

[emazur]

I wasn't aware of how it got started and I'm sure I'm not the only one here, so thought I'd pass this on
YouTube - Lew Rockwell: origins of employer-provided health insurance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KntVEHlpaLk)

[Zippyjuan]

In some cases even today, employees are willing to accept either no raises or lower wages in exchange for receiving healthcare coverage. I am in a union and for the last couple of contracts we traded no raises for continued healthcare benefits. Company cars or even houses were at one time offered as employment benefits to some employees (not at my company!) Now some offer stocks or stock options as alternatives to monetary compensation. A bit more info:
http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Understanding-The-Origin-Of-Employer-Based-Health-Insurance/1068821


Understanding The Origin Of Employer Based Health Insurance
By: Ethan Kalvin
Home | Health


Employer based health insurance is a benefit that is only offered within the United States. Other countries do not offer health insurance as part of a benefit of employment which is perhaps why other areas of the world have Nationalized Health Care Systems. Since employer based health insurance coverage is gradually becoming obsolete the need for some type of all inclusive health care plan for all citizens is surfacing causing many American's to call upon the government for assistance.

Employer based health care in the U.S. is actually something that began during World War II. During the war, there was a freeze on pay increases for all employees in the states which were imposed by the Federal Government. It was supposed to help level the playing field for those who were fighting overseas for our country by not allowing the rest of country to get ahead in their absence.

Companies still felt the need to reward their employees but could no longer offer them more money and in its place began offering them additional non-monetary benefits as a reward. One of the significant benefits that companies would offer was the benefit of health insurance that was paid in full by their employer.

Since WWII many companies have stopped paying for their employee's health insurance in full and many reduce salaries to subsidize insurance payments. This however was not how the benefit was intended to play out.

Now as a result of this many people are forced to take lower paying jobs merely because they provide insurance at a discounted rate. The origins of the employer based health insurance system is perhaps one of the biggest contributing factors to the overall failure of the health care system It is one of the reasons that currently so many unemployed people are struggling to get private insurance for their families and the high cost of health insurance is causing many employers to reduce or discontinue this benefit of employment all together. Perhaps if there had never been employer based health care then the United States would have a Nationalized Health Care System already in place.


Read more: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Understanding-The-Origin-Of-Employer-Based-Health-Insurance/1068821#ixzz0lU8V3HTQ
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

[Working Poor]

In Brazil the country that my son's dad is from my son's grandfather was an engineer for a mining company. He was supplied with a house, car, health care,all utitilites a house keeper and a laundress for 8 children plus an above average salary plus in retirement he has a pension.