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Deductibles. In-network. Non-preferred providers. Concierge medical services. Personal healthcare costs. Co-payment. Co-insurance. Benefit advisers. Coverage agents. Healthcare consultants. ACA. Health Maintenance Organization. PPO. Exclusive Provider Organization. Point of Service. HDHP. HSA. Flexible Spending Account. Health Reimbursement Arrangement. EOB. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. SHOP. Single coverage. Family coverage. Premium tax credits.

Baffled? You should be. Who comprehends all this stuff? Not the typical entrepreneur. Nor the typical employee. Selecting the right medical coverage for companies – or for households – appears to require demands advanced expertise in medical insurance.

Our Medical System Isn't Just Complicated, It's Costly

Based on recent research, typical households pays $27,000 annually on medical coverage (increasing by 6% compared to last year). The average employer health insurance cost is projected to exceed $17,000 for each worker by 2026, a 9.5% jump from 2025.

Currently federal operations has ceased functioning due to partisan disputes over subsidies that experts say could cause a doubling of premiums for millions of Americans.

When Will We Seriously Consider Universal Healthcare?

How soon might we genuinely evaluate a national health insurance program in the United States? I'm convinced we're approaching that point because this can't continue.

I'm not proposing government-run medicine. I'm advocating for our current Medicare system – an insurance system – merely extend to include all citizens. Our infrastructure remains intact. How our healthcare providers get paid would change. Believe me, they will adjust.

The Way National Health Insurance Could Function

Universal healthcare coverage would need contributions from both employees and employers. In comparable systems, an employee making moderate income must contribute about five point three percent toward medical coverage. Their employer pays approximately 13.75%.

Does this seem expensive? Not if you contrast that with what the typical US resident spends. I can name dozens of businesses that are routinely paying anywhere from 8% to 15% of their employee wages to their healthcare costs. And keep in mind that in inclusive programs, those payments also cover pension plans, illness coverage, parental benefits and unemployment benefits along with funding healthcare facilities. When including these expenses versus our current spending for our retirement plans, job loss coverage and vacation benefits, the difference decreases.

Implementation in the US

In the US, a national health premium would increase our Medicare tax deduction, a framework that is already in place. It should be income-adjusted – those at higher income levels would pay more than those earning less. There would be both an employee and company payments. And, like much of federal defense, IT, welfare services and transportation services, the system should be outsourced by private contractors instead of a government office.

Advantages for Small Businesses

Universal healthcare coverage represents a significant advantage for small businesses like mine. It would place small companies in equal competition with our larger competitors who can afford superior coverage. It would make administration much easier (automatic payroll withholding remitted like social security and Medicare taxes, instead of separate payments to insurance companies and coverage administrators).

It would enable simpler for us to budget annual expenditures, instead of going through the complex (and ineffective) process of negotiating with major insurers that we must do every year. Due to simplification, there would exist improved comprehension of coverage among workers – as opposed to the current system where they have to decipher the complications of existing plans. Additionally there would certainly be reduced responsibility for employers since we wouldn't have access to our employees' health histories for purposes of weighing risks and alternative plans.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as pro-market as possible. However I recognize that government play important functions in society, including national security to supporting needed infrastructure. Providing healthcare to all through a national insurance system enhances economic foundations. It's a better, easier system for entrepreneurs that employ the majority of the country's workers and generate half of our GDP. It enables for workers to be healthier, come to work more often and increase productivity.

Considering Challenges

Exist numerous factors I haven't covered? Certainly. But with rising medical expenses experienced in recent years, it's evident that the Affordable Care Act isn't functioning very well. And I realize that America isn't a small, Scandinavian country where major reforms can be readily adopted. But expanding Medicare for all, despite the additional taxes required, would remain a superior and more affordable approach for not only controlling healthcare costs but providing access to everyone.

Need for Honest Assessment

As Americans, must reduce our own arrogance. Our healthcare system isn't exceptional. The US places well below many other countries with the best healthcare globally, according to major studies. Perhaps a positive aspect amid current situation could be that we take a hard look at ourselves and agree that big changes are necessary.