The independent insurance journal

Health

Stories on Health. The history, the incentives, and the people living with the consequences.

In this topic 03

Health / Mar 21, 2026

Before Medicaid, before employer plans, and before hospital chains, millions of Americans got medical care through fraternal societies.

Health / Mar 10, 2026

Employer-based insurance was a workaround for World War II wage controls. It was never meant to be permanent. And yet.

Health / Mar 9, 2026

In 1990, actuaries bet on how long Americans would live. They were spectacularly wrong, and millions of seniors are paying for it.