Health Care is the key to the Economy
Heathcare tied to full-time jobs at large corporations is a drag on the economy; not only is it a burden on the companies, but it actively discourages entrepreneurship.Â
America is one of the very few countries in the world where healthcare is provided through employment rather than the government. And so American companies carry a burden that their foreign competitors do not, putting us at a disadvantage. One of the ways companies are dealing with this burden is to hire fewer full-time employees, instead they hire part-time and short-term employees for whom they do not need to provide health insurance. This trend is significantly increasing the difficulty of finding a full-time entry level job.
More importantly, since healthcare is tied to employment, only people willing to take a significant risk with their own health and the health of their family can take a chance on starting their own business. Let me bring this point home with an example: I have a friend who had a liver transplant when he was 18. He is a great programmer, and has several ideas for starting his own business. However, because of the transplant, he has a "pre-existing condition." If he is ever without insurance, he will never be insurable again. Because insurance is tied to employment, he will always have to work at a large corporation, and will never be able to start his own business.
Healthcare must be uncoupled from employment. Healthcare cannot remain a "job benefit."Â