Here are two charts from the the brief, Spending for Private Health Insurance in the United States. The Incidental Economist pointed out only one of these charts. Here is my favorite quote from the brief.

Premiums for coverage purchased in the non-group market are considerably lower than for coverage obtained through an employer and are rising at a slightly slower pace.

So why are we are trying to make the individual insurance market more like the insurance obtained through an employer? Is this a case where misery likes company?