Health insurance is weird in the US. In World War II we had wage controls which kept wages tight. When the War Labor Board declared that fringe benefits, such a

Health insurance is weird in the US. In World War II we had wage controls which kept wages tight. When the War Labor Board declared that fringe benefits, such as sick leave and health insurance, did not count as wages for the purpose of wage controls, employers responded with significantly increased offers of fringe benefits, especially health care coverage, to attract workers. As a result it became the defacto standard to get your insurance through your employer and your employer picks a company and group plan that spreads the risks over everyone and pays most or all of the premiums with before tax dollars. Employees can usually pick from a few plans (individual or family, maybe two levels of coverage) For example, my employer pays 2/3rds of my premiums and I pay 1/3rd. They would rather give me health insurance than money for my own health insurance because they don't have to pay taxes on the health insurance premiums they pay for me. Nobody gets a choice in what your employer picks as a health insurance. If I wanted my own insurance of my choice I would have to opt out my that extra money my employer kicks into my health insurance (I would lose it, I couldn't apply it to my own plan, and it is a substantial amount of money)