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Out-of-pocket costs. Preferred providers. Out-of-network. Concierge medical services. Personal healthcare costs. Co-payment. Shared insurance. Benefit advisers. Coverage agents. Healthcare consultants. Affordable Care Act. HMO. Preferred Provider Organization. Exclusive Provider Organization. Point of Service. HDHP. Health Savings Account. FSA. Health Reimbursement Arrangement. EOB. COBRA. SHOP. Single coverage. Dependent coverage. Insurance subsidies.

Baffled? You should be. Who understands this complex system? Certainly not the average entrepreneur. Nor the typical employee. Choosing the right medical coverage for companies – or for our families – seems like demands advanced expertise in medical insurance.

Our Medical System Is More Than Complicated, It Is Costly

Based on a recent study, typical households pays $twenty-seven thousand each year for their health insurance (increasing by 6% from last year). Typical employer health insurance cost is projected to exceed $17,000 for each worker in 2026, a 9.5% jump from 2025.

Currently the government is shut down due to partisan disputes regarding tax credits that experts say could cause a doubling of premiums for millions of Americans.

When Might We Truly Examine National Health Insurance?

When will we genuinely evaluate a national health insurance program in the United States? I have to believe we're getting closer because this can't continue.

I'm not suggesting national healthcare. I'm advocating that our already existing Medicare system – an insurance system – simply expand to cover everyone. Our infrastructure remains intact. How our healthcare providers get paid would change. Believe me, they will adjust.

The Way Universal Coverage Could Function

A national health insurance program would need payments from employees and employers. In comparable systems, a worker making average wages pays approximately 5.3% to their healthcare. The company must contribute approximately thirteen point seventy-five percent.

Does this appear expensive? Unless you compare it to what average US resident spends. I know multiple clients who are routinely paying anywhere from 8% to 15% of their employee wages for medical benefits. Remember that with inclusive programs, these contributions also cover pension plans, sick pay, parental benefits and job loss protection in addition to funding medical services. When including those costs compared with our current spending for our retirement plans, job loss coverage and vacation benefits, the gap narrows.

Implementation for America

For America, universal healthcare funding would raise our Medicare tax deduction, a system already established. It ought to be income-adjusted – those at higher income levels would contribute higher amounts than lower-income earners. This includes both an employee and company payments. Similar to many our government's military, technology, welfare services and transportation services, the program should be outsourced to third-party administrators instead of a government office.

Advantages for Entrepreneurs

A national health insurance program would be a significant advantage for entrepreneurs like mine. It would put small companies in equal competition against big corporations who can afford superior coverage. It would make administration significantly simpler (a payroll deduction remitted like retirement and Medicare taxes, rather than separate payments to benefit firms and insurance providers).

It would enable simpler to plan expenses annual expenditures, rather than enduring the complex (and fruitless) process of bargaining with major insurers that we must do every year. Due to simplification, there would be improved comprehension about benefits among workers – as opposed to the current system where they have to interpret the complexities of existing plans. Additionally there would definitely exist less liability for companies since we wouldn't have access to our employees' health histories for purposes of weighing risks and different options.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as pro-market as they get. However I recognize that public institutions play important functions in society, including national security to supporting essential systems. Ensuring medical coverage to all via universal healthcare enhances our economy's infrastructure. It's a better, simpler approach for entrepreneurs that employ more than half of American employees and generate half of our GDP. It enables employees to be healthier, come to work more often and be more productive.

Addressing Concerns

Exist a million considerations I'm not addressing? Certainly. Given all the healthcare cost increases we've seen recently, it's clear that current healthcare legislation isn't functioning very well. And I realize that America isn't a small, Scandinavian country where big changes are easier to implement. But expanding universal Medicare, even with the additional taxes that would be incurred, would still be a superior and less expensive approach for not only controlling healthcare costs and ensuring coverage to everyone.

Time for Realistic Evaluation

We as Americans, we need to tone down our own arrogance. America's medical care isn't so great. We rank well below many other countries with the best healthcare globally, according to comprehensive research. Perhaps a bright spot amid current situation is that we take a hard look in the mirror and acknowledge that major reforms are necessary.