Healthcare was only ever offered as a perk because employers could pay for it pre-tax instead of post tax, but individual employees could not do the same with their own money.
That was always stupid and didn't make sense, it's not because the labor/employment relationship used to be different.
>"Healthcare was only ever offered as a perk because employers could pay for it pre-tax instead of post tax, but individual employees could not do the same with their own money."
This is completely false. Employer-based healthcare was a consequence of World War 2. The US Congress passed 1942 Stabilization Act in order to combat inflation. As a result of this legislation employers could not compete for workers using wages alone. Employers then began to offer health benefits a perk and since that perk was not compensation it was not taxed. This fact is actually well-documented.[1][2]. It was offered in lieu of compensation and pre-tax vs post-tax status had nothing to do with the birth of this.
That was always stupid and didn't make sense, it's not because the labor/employment relationship used to be different.