In article <h77him$ru2$3@news.eternal-september.org>,
Brent <tetraethylleadREMOVETHIS@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>Those two statements don't go together. The reason there is a third
>party system is because of the US federal tax code. In WW2 the federal
>government capped wages but allowed health insurance benefits and
>employers and employees got tax benefits from offering and taking them.
>That's how today's system started. So, yes, it has everything to do with
>the government.

Bingo. That was bad, but when they later required HMO plans to be
offered, it became worse. At least with the old 80/20 plans patients
saw _some_ part of the bill, proportionate to the actual cost.
--
It's times like these which make me glad my bank is Dial-a-Mattress