Surviving the Workday

David Lazarus uses his column to describe some of the history and problems with employer-based healthcare:

Since the employer-based system took root during World War II as a way for businesses to cope with a government-imposed wage freeze, the deal has been fairly straightforward: Employers would offer this great benefit as a way to attract and retain workers, and workers in turn would be guaranteed affordable coverage for themselves and their families.

Your basic win-win situation.

But things have radically changed as healthcare costs continue to soar and as employers cut back on coverage, or require workers to shoulder an ever-growing share of expenses. Or both.

As a result, what was once a win-win now works primarily in employers’ favor. More than ever, their role as the provider of insurance for the vast majority of Americans serves as businesses’ most powerful tool in maintaining a stable and complacent workforce.