Public opinion polls have consistently shown that one of the things people like least about our health insurance system is the lack of portability. When you leave one employer to work for another you can take your 401(k) plan with you. But you can’t take your health insurance. Why is that?

There are exceptions to the rule. When professional football players switch teams they can keep their health insurance. Ditto for United Mine Workers. But for the vast majority of us, health insurance is tied to the job. Leave your employer and you must leave your health insurance behind. (See my review in Health Affairs.)

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