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Social insurance and employee benefits are key elements of society's safety net for workers. Social Security, although popular and successful, is under attack by critics who advocate privatization and benefit cuts. In health care, the United States has charted a course unique in the industrial world: 110 years after the debut of national health insurance in Europe, the US still lacks comprehensive coverage, spends a higher proportion of its gross domestic product on medical care than any other nation, and fails to insure 44 million people.
The U.S. safety net relies heavily on job-related coverage, which has imposed a major burden on collective bargaining. With competitive pressures causing many employers to cut benefits and shift costs and risks to workers, private employee benefits have been weakened just when the public safety net is being challenged. What, then, does the future hold for social insurance and employee benefits? In The Future of the Safety Net, leading experts address key aspects of this crucial question. Contributors Dean Baker, Center for Economic and Policy Research Peter Diamond, M.I.T. Sheldon Friedman, AFL-CIO Teresa Ghilarducci, University of Notre Dame David Jacobs, American University Helene Jorgensen, Center for Economic and Policy Research Robert McGarrah, AFL-CIO M. Edith Rasell, Economic Policy Institute Valerie Rawlston, National Urban League Dallas Salisbury, Employee Benefit Research Institute Nancy Sedmak, Bureau of National Affairs William Spriggs, National Urban League Christian Weller, Economic Policy Institute Subject Areas
Political Science / U.S. & Canada
Industrial and Labor Relations Health Care Professions & Policy American Studies |
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