Let us let businesses pay for MCOs with pre tax dollars. But not individuals, that would be undesirable….why?

Let us let businesses select retirement fund options for employees, and then let employees save $21k to $50k per year of pre tax money if they invest in their employer’s retirement savings options (401k).

Let us only let individuals save $6k pre tax in their own retirement account, without the meddling of employers. Let us go one step further and phase this benefit out if one employee works for an employer with 401k and the other does not.

As of 2020, let us let employees pay for student loans with pre tax money if they pay through their employer. But not students who pay themselves.

Let us pay for public transit with pre tax money, but only if via employer.

And so on and so forth. You see TONS of laws that explicitly give an upper hand to employees of well funded employers, effectively giving a competitive disadvantage to employees of poorer employers (small businesses, immigrants) and simultaneously incentivizing those who do work for well funded employers to not seek other options, such as starting their own small business.

Which self insured employers pay for directly.

So the barriers to switching aren't necessarily good for the employer either, because the more reliant someone is on their health insurance, the more they cost the company, and the less likely they are to ever leave.