Ed has worked for the same employer for several years. At the annual open enrollment, he has always declined to take coverage even though his share of the premium is less than $35 per paycheck.

At age 49, he’s single, diabetic, 6’2” tall and weighs 272 pounds; i.e., hardly “a young invincible!”

Last week Ed was hospitalized with MRSA. A toe has been amputated as the first step to contain the infection.

Assuming Ed recovers, he can sign up for coverage under the Obamacare Open Enrollment at year end. In the meantime, he will have incurred bills that will almost certainly result in bankruptcy.

Employers can pay most of or even the entire premium and there may still be one or two stubborn holdouts. The consequences can be heartbreaking. 

So, can you make having health insurance a condition of employment? In some cases, yes.  At a minimum, you need to CYA, something I wrote about in Tip #2 over seven years ago. PLEASE READ!

Say a little prayer for Ed, too.