In article , Doug Miller wrote:
In ,
Smitty Two wrote:

According to the National Coalition on Health Care, $13,000.

http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml

"The average employer-sponsored premium for a family of four costs close
to $13,000 a year, and the employee foots about 30 percent of this cost."

--x--x--x--x--

Based on personal observation, government employees of almost any type
have excellent health insurance policies paid by the employer, with
funds graciously provided by my taxes. Those policies cover vision and
dental as well as regular insurance, and include the employee's family.

Private companies often cover only 50% of the cost of the premium, and
if the employee wants insurance for the rug rats or the spouse, the
entire premium comes from his or her own pocket.

The entire premium is coming out of the individual's pocket anyway, even in
employer-sponsored plans. Every dollar the employer spends on purchasing
health insurance is a dollar that is unavailable for spending on salaries or
wages.

It is likewise a convenient fiction that the employer pays half of the FICA
premium. Nope. The employee pays all of it -- half in direct payroll
deduction, and half in the form of a reduced salary.

What the employer pays for FICA or health insurance premiums is
non-taxable employee compensation/benefit. The gubmint effectively
subsidizes health insurance by allowing employers to pay premiums with the
money spent there deducted from the company's income tax and not
contributing to the employee's taxable income.

Furthermore, USA now has special tax-reducing savings accounts for money
restricted to spending on the specific industries of healthcare and
education. How have the prices of products/services of these industries
compared to the Consumer Price Index? How have industries outside these
two fared in comparison to these two in USA?

- Don Klipstein )