Although most workers today take employer-sponsored health coverage for granted, it really didn't become a widespread benefit until as recently as World War II.
"The commitment of employers to worker health was initially driven by practical needs," said Paul Fronstin, Ph.D., director of health benefits research for the Employee Benefit Research Institute. "The formalization of health coverage during World War II, facilitated by wage controls and subsequent tax regulations, set the stage for the widespread adoption of health benefits by employers. This framework was reinforced by the passage of ERISA, which provided a consistent regulatory environment for employee benefit plans."
Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to BenefitsPRO, part of your ALM digital membership.
Your access to unlimited BenefitsPRO content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking benefits news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical converage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
