[forty]

I don't know the US system at all, but here in France employee health insurance ("mutuelle") are mandatory. The main benefit is that the cost is the same for all employees, no matter their health condition, age, etc. Basically it's a solidarity thing which allows everyone in the company to be covered well for a reasonable price.

[pnutjam]

Last US company I worked for, before the current one, instituted tiered policy costs. I made more, so I paid more for identical coverage. I thought it was good. They had pretty decent insurance.

[mediaman]

Is health insurance not provided by the state in France? I thought employer-provided health insurance was just was an odd Americanism.

[yurishimo]

There are a number of other western countries that have private healthcare systems. The difference between their and ours is tight regulation and cost controls, often combined with a robust public option for the unemployed to fall back on.

[forty]

I should add that in France, you can keep your employer health insurance for free for one full year, in many cases when you lose your job which limit the risk of a "hole" in the health coverage.

[giaour]

France has private supplementary insurance programs in addition to the state run health insurance program.

A good corollary in the US is Medicare: everybody over 65 can enroll in Medicare Part A for free, but you can also choose Part B, Part D, and "medigap" coverage, each of which is optional and has a monthly premium.

[forty]

There is a "baseline" provided by the state, and the employer health insurance adds extra coverage.

[Dma54rhs]

It's still tied to working and your employer pays to the pool.