My guess is somewhere in the past, some employer thought it would be a nice benefit to provide or entice potential employees and decades later, it becomes an almost universal benefit?

Not sure

In the scientific community such benefit packages were used to attract the "cream of the crop". There were a couple of jobs early on in my career where I was offered a lower starting salary but a great benny package.

You should say that. Because it's true. I've lived in 2 "socialized heathcare" countries (aka "healthcare coverage" there, nothing socialist about it in how it's perceived) and it's great - no hearsay, no "in canada, I hear..." BS.

Socialized medicine as a bad word comes from lobbyists paid for by US insurance groups to make you think it's crap. In fact they went soft, should have named it "commie medicine". Because meanwhile insurance groups are super profitable and they can cut you off at will... I listened to an interview from one such lobbyist on the radio a while back, he flat out explained that was his job (to talk $hit about socialized systems), that he was paid by insurance groups, and regretted having chosen that profession - he was quite remorseful. He explained all the tactics, take one example of a guy waiting for an MRI in Canada and make it to be 1000s of cases, insert some grain of verifiable truth in a bigger lie, he was talking specifics and it was shocking (and not surprising at the same time).

Picture a world where you can lose or quit a job and still have medical and not a care about paying for anything medical. That's pretty much every developed country except for the US. Some have extra coverage to go above and beyond, or not share a hospital room, but you get the gist - everyone gets care. You want flowers in your room you use your extra coverage. My mother lives in Europe and is sick - she has gotten 5 years of free ride thoughout all the chemo, surgeries, emergencies, the system even pays a taxicab to take her to the hospital and back home so my dad doesn't have to. And before I hear any $hit about taxes, I pay more taxes here in the USA in % than my family does there, and I get zip for medical other than through work. Does this make sense to you ?

I'm not saying everything should be socialized, but heathcare definitely so. If you disagree, you have never experienced it, and have been drinking the kool-aid and should do research. It's shameful to bankrupt people because they are sick. Only here.
To my eyes, americans refusing socialized healthcare over and over in elections is like someone in the 1930s voting against weekends off work. "No. no, it's socialist, let us work 7 days a week for the same money" ! It's a cult ;-)

Though I have no intention of PARFing this up, I am pleased to see so many people making sense.

I am not an attorney but I notice employers changing rules even after retirement. I know that a corporation can buy out another one, then sell off the retirement fund, and then sell it. It has happened many times. Like parting out a car.

Someone suggested that perhaps flatbutt could be eligible for Part B due to this change. Or something.

Glad you feel blessed, Sir. Glad you are in a position to deal with this.

I totally agree with you.

When Glaxo Wellcome took over SmithKline Beecham changes started occurring. Now that I think of it I retired under the Consumer/OTC division and GSK has been spinning that off. That makes some sense now.

I agree 100%

It’s called “the stabilization act of 1942” wherein the US government instituted a wage cap on private business, and to attract the best employees companies began to offer what became known as “fringe benefits,” outside of the legal scope of the wage cap. Health insurance being one, and “company car” one of the others. It never went away. And in the opinion of many it’s one of the reasons American healthcare costs are in the state they are in. No one can identify the true cost of anything or who is paying for it.

Yes but, it could be even more special if you were to wake up and realize that you actually live in almost any nation on the planet except the USA and that this topic is
only ever your worst nightmare.

Ok, that's an impossible hypothetical dream for almost all Americans but just saying, it seems mighty strange and depressing that anyone should have such a worry in retirement.

Best wishes to you - I hope you find a good solution.

Yes indeed...