[baddox]

Does anything legally tie your optional health insurance to your employment in Canada and legally prohibit Australian employers from providing private health insurance, or is that simply the way the two markets have developed?

[mhurron]

> Does anything legally tie your optional health insurance to your employment in Canada

No. Supplementary insurance can be a perk of employment just like actual health insurance can be a perk of employment in the US, but you can get supplementary without it.

[grecy]

I don't know about Canada, but I believe in Australia it's illegal for an employer to have anything to do with your health care.