unfortunately this can't / won't ever happen. Currently as it is, employers can show it as a benefit of employment to attract and keep people along with usual compensation. Take it completely off of employers and take it to government (ie universal healthcare) and you will get taxed heavily for the program so it is tied to employment one way or another directly or indirectly. I just wish there was more focus on the year on year cost increases in healthcare which dwarf actual inflation. Really there is zero focus on that which has been a great disappointment to me. Its more focused on the "get everyone covered" concept. Very noble and I'm not against the concept but when that coverage is crap whats the point. Also, when the how do we pay for it thing is glassed over I worry. Thats where Obamacare lost me. I was originally supportive of the concept until it had little to do with reeling in the crazy cost increases. This is not a political statement on my part at all. I'd love heathcare suddenly, but I'm getting older and realize I may be screwing over younger folks who work and thats not fair either and that part bugs me too.
I think it can, and will, eventually happen. Getting everyone covered will reduce costs. When people aren't covered, they don't catch problems early, they don't have any kind of preventative healthcare, they just go to the ER when things get bad. And that ends up costing far more than what it could have. And costs increase to cover that. Being taxed on healthcare is far better in my opinion, and would work out to be far cheaper for most Americans. And then you'd literally never have to worry about insurance, pick a job you really want, not the one that has better insurance to cover a sick family member. Retire early? Sure, cause you don't have to worry about covering healthcare. If it's taxed, your employer can pay you more, and you'll likely be taxed less than you put out of your paycheck now for it. When I was in the pipefitter union, literally 25% of my compensation package went to health insurance, and that was over ten years ago, it's probably worse now.