There was a time when you went to the doctor, you paid a very affordable office call charge when you left.

You went to a drugstore and filled a prescription (again very affordable)

Your boss did not even KNOW you went to the doctor (unless you asked for time off). He did not care (excepts as another human being being concerned about your well-being)

Your boss' bottom line was in NO way, affected by your medicine cost, or your illness, or your general health (unless you needed a lot of time to recuperate).

If you had insurance, you paid out of pocket until a deductible was met...usually $500 for a person. Once the deductible was met, they just sent you a check monthly for bills you submitted. (usually 80% reimbursement).

Your health care was PRIVATE, at each venue.

you-doctor
you-drugstore
you-insurance

It's ironic that now, after all the "privacy legislation", you have less than ever of it. Every visit to a doctor usually involves you signing a paper that RELEASES you from many of your "privacies".

There are few independent pharmacies left, and the ones we all have access to these days are connected to many corporate entities through their corporate structure.

Banks have partnered up with insurance companies too, so at some point in a loan application, it;s entirely possible that your "health history" could come into play, when it's time to judge your creditworthiness.

This is not "black helicopter" stuff. It's reality. Your boss gets his premiums "rated", depending on the "quality" of his group..got "too many" 45> employees?..everyone pays more, gets less.

In the Age of Internet(s) , there is no more privacy, and with the proper "tools", your bosses can (and probably do) find out a whole lot about you.

When you sign releases at the doctor's office, and your insurance company "pays" for you at the pharmacy & doctor's office, and then uses that information to determine what your boss can or cannot afford for your benefits package, your privacy is gone baby gone.