I've heard that many American workers quit in the early days of the month, so that their ex-employer is still covering their health insurance that month, and their next employer (presuming they have another job to go to) picks it up in the next month. I can't imagine how many people are stuck in jobs they hate just because they are afraid to be without insurance. It can't be good for anyone.
It seems like it is good for employers for employees to be more precarious and dependent on them.
Also, many health insurance plans from your employer don't start immediately. Sometimes you have to tiptoe around for 90 days until you get coverage.
Source: American, and it's always funny to hear what people in other countires 'think' about the USA
I won't defend the specific scenario given but the second sentence there is a huge generalization. You're correct that insurance plans don't start immediately, but that also leaves people in a difficult, even if temporary, situation.
Europeans however are correct to think that the healthcare system in the US is abysmal, because it is. All this goes without saying that employment-tied insurance puts people in precarious positions, which is obvious.
It would be nice to not have to do that, but in the grand scheme of things (less than) a month is not a very long period of time.
The US systems is royally fucked; sardonically quipping about "those crazy foreigners" doesn't make it better.