Why business doesn't revolt against employer-based health insurance.

[Scuba]

Ever wonder why American businesses aren't screaming about the health care costs they have to tack on to the price of their goods and services? It would seem having these costs spread across the entire taxpaying populace would reduce their cost. Not true???

Consider this, please. Without health insurance, citizens are at risk of losing everything they've ever worked for, should a health crisis occur. When employees are exposed to such risk they will make major compromises to keep their health insurance in place. Therefore employers have an unspoken threat that keeps people in their jobs, and their insurance.

If we had Medicare of All, our citizens would enjoy much greater freedom in the job market. No longer would we be bound to our current jobs by health insurance, but would instead be able to take our skills elsewhere without worry of gaps in insurance.

If your employer abuses you in any way, you could walk. They're willing to pay for not giving you that freedom, correctly calculating that they can more than make it up by scrimping on salary and benefits, employee safety and other working conditions factors.

Of course this only applies when they can't get prison (read: slave) labor. When prisoners do the work, the government pays for health care costs

Or am I just cynical?

[B Calm]

1. I've known this for years. It's a tool to retain low wage workers.

[Hello_Kitty]

19. But most low wage workers don't have insurance.

High paid and highly skilled workers are more likely to have insurance through their job.

[annabanana]

2. I know several people who suffer emotional abuse in the workplace

because they (or their spouse) cannot risk any "uncovered" time.

[old mark]

3. It gives them leverage against their employees and a club to hold over

our heads. They do NOT want freedom or better working conditions - they want their employees to feel dependent and feel like they have NO CHOICES in life.

My theory after spending several years as a Union Steward.

mark

[Lochloosa]

4. When the idea was floated during the debate of lowering Medicare to 55,

I told my wife we could afford to open our own business. This has been a dream of mine for a few years, but there is no way we could have afforded the health insurance, if we could have qualified.

Oh well.....

[Scuba]

6. Another example. Thanks.

[Statistical]

15. Which is another reason big companies like the status quo.

It is very expensive for small business to offer health insurance so either
a) small biz does offer health insurance and that huge premium gets added to the price of their goods & services thus making them less competitive

b) small biz doesn't offer health insurance and that makes it harder for small biz to compete for talent/labor.

Either way a win-win for the big boys.

[aquart]

5. Yeah, but it's penny wise pound foolish.

As usual.

[xchrom]

7. it's just another chain, shackle on workers.

but how far that chain will go -- you have to make a lot of money to get free from employer provided insurance -- especially
if you have a spouse and kids and school debt.

[tavalon]

8. A form of wage slavery indeed

[bluethruandthru]

9. It's so sad that we Americans are unable to open our eyes

to how life could be if we weren't constantly living in fear of losing our health insurance (those who actually have it). It's like we are carrying around a 100 pound rock and we've carried it for so long that we can't imagine not carrying it. When we finally put it down, we'll be amazed at how great it is.

Imagine not just the job mobility, but the ability to work two or more part-time jobs because you wanted to - because the hours worked out better for you - or because you wanted to try new things!
Not to mention the peace of mind that comes from regularly seeing a doctor for check ups and annual tests and getting problems taken care of while they're still small instead of being forced to wait until they're more serious and debilitating.

It astounds me that we as a country aren't taking to the streets to demand a single payer health care system.

[Scuba]

10. I'll meet you in the street. Just say when, where.

[blindpig]

11. Not cynical, not at all. n/t

[Vinca]

12. It's mind boggling why business owners aren't taking to the streets

to demand single-payer. Maybe if we push the notion they'll be able to pocket so much more cash. Another aspect of single-payer that has been lost is public health. If you don't have access to medical care, you most likely will not seek help whenever you are ill. I can't think of a better way for an epidemic to start.

[maryf]

13. Very realistic

Anyway to keep the workers subdued, the working conditions poor, and the salaries low...

On a positive tangent, considering other employers that aren't businesses, like municipalities, state governments, school districts; some are starting to see the wisdom of Medicare for All, it would not only save them money, but would by extension allow them to budget for other needs. For those areas where property taxes pay for schools, the budget savings would by extension allow school districts lower taxes.

[Statistical]

14. Exactly. Even if you have good employer based coverage it HURT YOU.

Why? Because it limits your labor mobility. We have free flow of capital but very restricted flow of labor. This is just another restriction.

Say you find another job that pays more but the healthcare isn't as good, or you just paid your deductible for the year, or you have a sick child and have gone through hundreds of hours of fighting insurance company and finally got everything working.

Your employer (on a macro economic level) knows this. They know that employer based coverage is a way to reduce labor mobility.

Free flow of capital = good for capitalists (owners, investors, bankers)
Free flow of labor = good for workers

In our society we have high mobility of capital and low mobility of labor. Single payer or even a 100% open "insurance exchange" w/ public option would increase mobility of labor.

[OnionPatch]

16. Yep, I do think you're onto something.

I know a heap of people who would start their own small businesses if it weren't for the high cost of insurance. I'm one of them. Employers can keep their employees on board for lower wages when alternative options are few are far between. Not to mention the competition they might face if regular folks had the freedom to run more businesses. Imagine having to compete against business owners who don't require million-dollar bonuses and obscene profit margins.

[lonestarnot]

17. K & R!

[Javaman]

18. It's always been a mystery to me as well. nt

[glitch]

20. You're not cynical enough. With prison labor the taxpayer doesn't just pay for medical costs.

They pay all the costs. Nice racket, huh?