Policy Question: Why is employer-provided health insurance not deemed income to the employee?

It seems to me that much of the problem with health insurance is that people don't have much of an impression of its cost, so that they have no incentive to "shop around" for a better plan.

Also, people who are self-employed have to pay for insurance in after-tax dollars - why are they treated less advantageously?

I am interested in President Bush's plan to make the insurance plan taxable as income and give everyone a tax credit to purchase insurance. I think forcing every employer to buy insurance for its employees or pay a tax is going in the wrong direction, encouraging people to think someone else has to "take care of them."

Why should health insurance be part of an employment package anyway? Food, clothing, and shelter - which are every bit as necessary as health insurance, if not much more so - are not provided by employers. We receive income from working, and buy it ourselves.

What do you think?

Health insurance first became a benefit to employees back during World War II. There was a shortage of trained manpower and in order to attract skilled workers, employers started offering health insurance. My guess, it was during a war and government was willing to let employers do just about anything as long as they reached production schedules so they just never made a big deal out of it. After the war people just came to expect it--------and we all know how government doesn't want to upset the people.

Its just nice to have they dont HAVE to let yo u have it, and they give you money to buy everything else. My parents have to have health insurance because I am always sick and hurt with out it we would be so far in debt

Excellent idea; there is no problem that taxation cannot solve