Plus their employers get to write that extra amount off as an expense, and the employee doesn't have to record it as compensation. This means corporations are subsidized over individuals. This is one of the things the Obama health plan does a good job of fixing.

And I would encourage everyone on an employer plan to find out how much your employer is paying and then plan your savings accordingly.

Edit: For example, under my last employer plan I was paying 168.00 for my wife and I. If I elected COBRA that would have jumped to 660.88.

This is usually pretty easy: if you are paying anything, chances are your employer's cost basis is 2x what you're paying.

In my experience for a spouse+me plan, I'd say it was closer to 4-5x what I was paying while employed (cobra, that is).