Quote:
Originally Posted by AGDee
Remove it from employer control and let us choose our own completely.
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This is what they did in the Netherlands a while ago, just after I moved here first. They went from a system where the employer provides health insurance, to a system where the individual is responsible for selecting their insurance, and paying for it. Health insurance is mandatory for every citizen and if you have a lower income, you get a compensation so it becomes affordable. The compensation is provided by the government.
They all cost about the same, and get more expensive if you want a lot of coverage, but you can strip it down to the bare necessities. For example you chuck out pre-natal care, opticians, orthodontic care and homeopathy, but you have to be insured for the dentist, medical emergencies, hospital stay, any illness (mental and physical) and most medications. Children under 18 are insured for free.
I'm not saying it will work in the US, and it is by no means perfect, but it does allow you to customize insurance to your needs and employers don't have any influence on which insurance you pick.