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Out-of-pocket costs. In-network. Non-preferred providers. Concierge medical services. Out-of-pocket expenses. Co-payment. Shared insurance. Benefit advisers. Coverage agents. Healthcare consultants. ACA. Health Maintenance Organization. PPO. Exclusive Provider Organization. Point of Service. HDHP. HSA. Flexible Spending Account. HRA. Explanation of Benefits. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. SHOP. Individual coverage. Family coverage. Premium tax credits.

Confused? You should be. Who understands all this stuff? Certainly not the average entrepreneur. Neither the average employee. Selecting the right medical coverage for our business – or for households – appears to require demands a PhD in healthcare.

Our Healthcare System Isn't Just Complex, It's Expensive

According to recent research, typical households pays $twenty-seven thousand annually for their health insurance (increasing by 6% compared to last year). Typical company healthcare expense is expected to surpass $seventeen thousand for each worker in 2026, a 9.5% jump from 2025.

Currently the government is shut down due to partisan disputes over subsidies which analysts predict could cause premium increases up to 100% for millions of Americans.

When Might We Seriously Consider National Health Insurance?

How soon might we seriously consider a national health insurance program here in America? I'm convinced we're getting closer since this can't continue.

I'm not proposing government-run medicine. I'm proposing for our current Medicare system – an insurance system – merely extend to cover everyone. Our infrastructure doesn't change. How medical professionals receive payment would change. Believe me, they will adjust.

How Universal Coverage Could Function

Universal healthcare coverage would require contributions from both workers and companies. In comparable systems, a worker earning average wages pays approximately five point three percent toward medical coverage. The company pays approximately thirteen point seventy-five percent.

Does this seem like a lot? Unless you contrast that with what the typical US resident spends. I know dozens of clients who are easily contributing anywhere from 8% to 15% of their employee wages for medical benefits. Remember that with inclusive programs, those payments include pension plans, illness coverage, parental benefits and unemployment benefits in addition to funding medical services. When you add these expenses versus what we pay on retirement programs, unemployment insurance and paid time off, the gap narrows.

Execution in the US

In the US, a national health premium would increase our Medicare tax deduction, a system that is already in place. It should be means-based – wealthier individuals would contribute higher amounts than those earning less. There would be both worker and company payments. And, like many our government's military, technology, welfare services and transportation services, the system could be managed to third-party administrators rather than a government office.

Advantages for Small Businesses

Universal healthcare coverage would be a significant advantage for entrepreneurs like mine. It would place small companies in equal competition against big corporations that can pay for better plans. It would render administration significantly simpler (a payroll deduction remitted like retirement and Medicare taxes, rather than individual transactions to insurance companies and insurance providers).

It would make it easier for us to budget annual expenditures, instead of going through the complex (and fruitless) process of bargaining with the big insurance providers that we must do each year. Because it's simplified, there would exist improved comprehension of coverage among workers – as opposed to existing arrangements where they have to interpret the complications of existing plans. Additionally there would certainly be less liability for employers as we no longer would be privy to our employees' health histories for weighing risks and different options.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as pro-market as possible. But I've learned that government play important functions in society, from providing defense to funding essential systems. Providing healthcare to all via universal healthcare enhances economic foundations. It represents superior, easier system for entrepreneurs which hire more than half of the country's workers and fund half of our GDP. It makes it possible employees to enjoy better health, come to work more often and increase productivity.

Considering Challenges

Are there a million considerations I'm not addressing? Of course there are. Given rising medical expenses experienced recently, it's evident that current healthcare legislation is not working effectively. I understand that we're not a compact European nation where big changes can be readily adopted. However extending Medicare for all, despite the additional taxes that would be incurred, would still be a superior and less expensive approach for not only managing medical expenses and ensuring coverage for all citizens.

Time for Realistic Evaluation

We as Americans, must tone down national pride. America's medical care isn't exceptional. The US places well below numerous nations with the best healthcare globally, based on major studies. Perhaps a bright spot in this present circumstances could be that we undertake a hard look at ourselves and agree that major reforms need to happen.