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Article: Declining employer sponsored health insurance: Tennessee and the U.S.
- Article from:
- Business Perspectives
- Article date:
- September 22, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 University of Memphis. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Introduction
Since World War II, employer-based health insurance has been the foundation of private healthcare coverage. While this insurance still covers slightly over half (54.0 percent) of the population, its role continues to erode. The objective of this article is to document the decline in employer-sponsored health insurance, with a focus on the situation in Tennessee, and to discuss the implications of this shift. The issue that faces businesses and policy makers is: Can U.S. firms continue to remain globally competitive and also fulfill their long-held health insurance obligations to current and retired employees?
Wal-Mart, the largest private ...