Ever-rising health care costs and the ever-increasing cost of health insurance premiums are making it increasingly difficult for employers to pay health insurance premiums. health of their employees. In the past, it was almost a given that employers footed the bill for health insurance. Health coverage was generally exceptional, with little or no money paid out of pocket by the individual for insurance premiums. These seem to be the “good old days,” with fewer and fewer employers shelling out money for health insurance premiums and requiring a higher percentage to be paid by the employee. Other employers are simply financially unable to provide health coverage to their employees and have stopped altogether. The first health insurance plans emerged during the Civil War in the mid-1800s, with the first plans covering only accidents related to train or steamboat travel. Eventually, the plans became more elaborate, covering all illnesses and injuries. In 1929, the first modern group health insurance plan was created. In Dallas, Texas, a group of teachers contracted with Baylor Hospital for housing, food and medical services in exchange for a monthly fee. And in 1932, Blue Cross and Blue Shield first offered group health insurance plans (Neurosurgical Medical Group, 2007). Employee health insurance plans flourished in the 1940s and 1950s. Unions negotiated better benefits, including tax-free, employer-paid health insurance. When war broke out between 1939 and 1945, the government froze wages, which led to an increase in collective health care. Since employers were unable to attract employees offering higher salaries, they decided to improve their benefits packages by adding health care coverage. Gove...... middle of paper......gery Medical Group. The History of Health Insurance in the United States. (2007). Retrieved from: http://www.neurosurgical.com/medical_history_and_ethics/history/history_of_health_insurance.htmThe Commonwealth Fund. New Report: Employer-funded health insurance premiums increased 119% between 1999 and 2008. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/News/News-Releases/2009/Aug/Employer-Sponsored-Health-Insurance-Premiums-Increase-119-Percent.aspxTully, S. (2010). Documents reveal that AT&T, Verizon and others considered eliminating employer-based benefits. Fortune. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/05/news/companies/dropping_benefits.fortune/Wolfe, L. (2011). Barack Obama's health plan and its impact on employers. About.com Women in Business. Retrieved from http://womeninbusiness.about.com/od/womenspolitics/a/Obama-employers.htm