Cost-Containment

As optimism about the economy increases and the War for Talent intensifies, employers are boosting their investments to attract and keep the best people.

Given the amount of attention mere rumors and speculation of an Amazon entrance into the health care space has garnered over the past several months, it's unlikely the buzz will die down any time soon.

According to a report from the Society for Human Resource Management, the senior segment is projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to be the fastest-growing group in the workforce through 2024.

We've tried to get an idea of how Amazon might perform as a health-benefits revolutionary by comparing its health benefits with Kaiser Permanente's benefits.

The company, which makes Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Ho Hos, is also providing its employees one-time payments of $1,250 -- with $750 in cash and $500 in the form of a 401(k) contribution.

It's not hard to imagine how the three companies could set up a large, closed system that could serve as a blueprint to fix the entrenched, inefficient U.S. health care system.