Even at the medium sized company firms w/over 50 employees, at times it is very difficult to cover all required $ health issues - mandatory health insurance coverage=hmo design is yet expensive, given that overall company steady $ profit & dividends are present day economically starved - many companies & their employees have found a contract situation with higher $ per hour salary much more amenable to their $ budgetary issues - the contractors prefer to have the higher $ per hour or full $ contract per week, month, per quarter, per year with purchasing personally sought lower individual/family insurance coverage as in mentioned above HMO's - given reached mandatory year, companies will have to negotiate or renegotiate their internal mandatory employee health insurance benefits coverage until a satisfactory equation has been agreed upon.