Employer Health Insurance: Often-Hated, Sometimes Pioneering, and Now on Amazon’s Radar
- 6 years ago
Employer Health Insurance: Often-Hated, Sometimes Pioneering, and Now on Amazon’s Radar
Now, three very big and powerful companies — Amazon, JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway — plan to use
that system to transform health care, at least for their million-plus combined employees.
Because employers pay a large share of insurance premiums, most workers tend to sign up for plans even if they’re healthy.
Companies first developed on-site health care for their workers: Kaiser Permanente
was born as a medical clinic for workers building the Colorado River Aqueduct.
Employers also want workers who are healthy and productive, able to work hard and to focus on their work.
And the system was cemented when the Internal Revenue Service decided
that health insurance was not subject to income taxes, making it a particularly valuable way for employers to improve compensation for their workers.
Now, three very big and powerful companies — Amazon, JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway — plan to use
that system to transform health care, at least for their million-plus combined employees.
Because employers pay a large share of insurance premiums, most workers tend to sign up for plans even if they’re healthy.
Companies first developed on-site health care for their workers: Kaiser Permanente
was born as a medical clinic for workers building the Colorado River Aqueduct.
Employers also want workers who are healthy and productive, able to work hard and to focus on their work.
And the system was cemented when the Internal Revenue Service decided
that health insurance was not subject to income taxes, making it a particularly valuable way for employers to improve compensation for their workers.