Is it because of tax benefits or something similar? If so, couldnt the government provide the same tax benefits to individuals to make healthcare insurance more affordable to everyone?
disclaimer: I am not from the US
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The money spent in an employee’s health benefits is generally not taxed in any way, shape, or form — for neither the company nor the employee.
Employer paid health insurance generally started during World War II because the federal government implement wage controls (maximum wages) for lots of jobs. Health insurance wasn’t considered a wage and some companies used the fact that the offered the benefit to compete for workers. Ever since then, health insurance has been generally tied to employment in the U.S.
Under the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, employers of a certain minimum size must offer health insurance to their employees who work 30 or more hours per week. The health insurance must also meet certain minimum criteria as well.
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