Joe pays his rent, utility bills, even his cable bill. Joe can pay his medical insurance. Hell, Blue Cross lets me set it up so they just take the money out of my checking account. I don't even have to write a check.

And, with COBRA, Joe doesn't get the preferential tax treatment corporations do. So, making health insurance a standard deductible for the individual and not the corporation, helps Joe pay the premium. And say the next position Joe finds is a contract position, without any benefits? Or, Joe wants to retire? COBRA only lasts for 18 months.

For someone who distrusts big companies, it's kind of surprising your enthused about them being the ones who control health care.

It may be more difficult for someone who has one of those jobs from the 1950's where the company acting like it was a "Mother Company" who took care of your lifestyle forever. But, the system is become more and more dynamic where people aren't staying at the same job for 5, or even 2, years. Needing health care you can keep across jobs has become more important.