Blue collar workers suffer from an epidemic of high premiums and deductibles with regards to healthcare coverage, especially in Construction.
We should require employers to cover ALL healthcare costs, including preventative care, for the employee and their family. This would get the costs of premiums out of the pockets of those who are least capable of negotiating for better rates. Larger companies will then benefit by lobbying insurance companies (or shopping it out) for the best rates. These rates should be required to be posted for all, and no preferential treatment given to companies based on covered people, etc (IE all companies, small or large, can receive the same rate as another corporation in that area) Insurance Companies get you on the “language,” as no normal citizen has a clue what is actually covered and not. Just eliminate all caveats- period. Best published rate in an area wins.
This coverage requirement would apply to those with full time jobs only.
This would save the average middle class family $1000+/mo on average.
Further reform would be needed to reign in actual healthcare costs, acceptable profit margins.
This is one the free market can’t fix, because no company who would opt to do this can be competitive in their market given the rates on coverage. Someone else needs to reign those in but the middle class should ‘t have to choose between their ramen noodles or making there medical insurance premium payments.