It wasn't always this way but healthcare tied to employment is a holdover from WW II. We also have this weird residual of puritanical values that says we value hard work over everything else. So tying healthcare to employment fits right in. People only get what they deserve. "If you want healthcare, just get a job." The hypocrisy is that our policies are very un-Christian given their Christian origins.
Similarly, retirement options need to stop being tied to employers as well.
I've written my representatives about this, but I also want to see the 401k separate from the employer. Reduce fees, allow anyone to have a 401k, and like an IRA, contribute however they wish, while also allowing employers to contribute to an employer bucket to keep matches for employers to provide those.
I switch jobs, my 401k can travel with me. Employers no longer need to supply one if they don't want to, they just have to support sending money to it via payroll deduction. There will be no more people who work but can't contribute to a 401k and lose that valuable option in addition to an IRA.
