It can be helpful to look into the history of employer-provided benefits, how they came to be and how they evolved.
One major emphasis on benefits took place after World War II. The federal government imposed wage freezes to deal with inflation then. Employers needed to offer something attractive so applicants would consider them. Since they couldn't compete on salaries, they competed on benefit offerings instead.
In the public sector, there's even more emphasis on benefits. Salaries typically are lower for government jobs. Making up for that is the line of how excellent their benefits are.
Yes, the whole notion of employer-provided health care insurance merits revisiting, especially when people don't stay with one employer for life any more. That said, one reason employer-provided insurance is considerably cheaper than individual health plans is because the risk is spread among a significantly large pool. That model would have to be revisited, and established firms and practitioners could be extremely resistant unless some other enticing arrangements are proposed.
One major emphasis on benefits took place after World War II. The federal government imposed wage freezes to deal with inflation then. Employers needed to offer something attractive so applicants would consider them. Since they couldn't compete on salaries, they competed on benefit offerings instead.
In the public sector, there's even more emphasis on benefits. Salaries typically are lower for government jobs. Making up for that is the line of how excellent their benefits are.
Yes, the whole notion of employer-provided health care insurance merits revisiting, especially when people don't stay with one employer for life any more. That said, one reason employer-provided insurance is considerably cheaper than individual health plans is because the risk is spread among a significantly large pool. That model would have to be revisited, and established firms and practitioners could be extremely resistant unless some other enticing arrangements are proposed.