[f]or the majority of Americans, the largest portion of their health expenses are covered by their employer. At last estimates approximately 58% of Americans get their health insurance through their employers. The average cost of premiums per individual was $3,515 in 2009 whereas for employers (particularly major employers such as GE or IBM) the cost for providing health insurance to employees was $9,860. Thus, the burden of directly paying for insurance for individuals primarily falls on the employer community. JXEKSW2QWPDF

Health care costs move from the individual, micro-level, all the way to the final purchaser (or reimburser) of health care the American government. Each time the expense is passed on to a new body in this perverse economic system, it grows more costly and/or inefficient.

Recently, there has been some controversy concerning the number of uninsured Americans. To be honest, there is some basis for this confusion, though some groups and individuals have blown it far out of proportion.