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US healthcare is a four-party arrangement since employers are also intermediaries. Employers select the plan (or plan options) and they pay the bulk of the prem
by dpierce9 5y ago
US healthcare is a four-party arrangement since employers are also intermediaries. Employers select the plan (or plan options) and they pay the bulk of the premiums. Their check is always bigger than yours even if you pay more for your policy than they do. As such, most of the sales effort by health insurance companies is directed at the employer and they exercise a lot of judgment. In contrast, I have never once spoken to a representative of the health insurance company during open enrollment, it is always HR.
- thedougd 5y agoFurthermore, a lot of employers self-fund and use the insurance company only for management and possibly secondary insurance.
- lotsofpulp 5y agoThis whole situation would be solved by a simple change to the tax code. Managed healthcare (health insurance) can no longer be purchased via employers with pre tax income. Everyone gets funneled to healthcare.gov where they can choose. The whole buying things (life insurance, gym membership, retirement savings) with pre tax income if it is bought through an employer system needs to go in the trash.