Buying health insurance on your own is very expensive and 'usually' not near as good as you could get through an employer.
Actually it's more expensive. The only reason it's cheaper than on your own is because the employer pays it. With a group policy you can't be denied for prior medical, usually. And everyone in the company is covered regardless of age. If you are young and healthy you pay the same as the 60 year old.
That's part of the problem with company cutbacks and sending jobs overseas. It's not just the salary packages but more the benefit packages. Between retirement, health insurance, social security, medicare, workers comp, etc. etc. a persons benefits can add up to more than their salary. In alot of the talks on here that hasn't been mentioned as a reason jobs are heading overseas but alot of the company managers I talk to have said it's a big part of the reason. They just simply cannot afford all the benefits.