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Out-of-pocket costs. Preferred providers. Non-preferred providers. Premium health services. Out-of-pocket expenses. Co-payment. Co-insurance. Benefit advisers. Coverage agents. Healthcare consultants. Affordable Care Act. Health Maintenance Organization. PPO. Exclusive Provider Organization. Point of Service. High Deductible Health Plan. Health Savings Account. FSA. HRA. EOB. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. SHOP. Individual coverage. Family coverage. Premium tax credits.

Baffled? You should be. Who comprehends all this stuff? Not the typical entrepreneur. Nor the typical worker. Choosing the appropriate medical coverage for companies – or for our families – seems like demands advanced expertise in healthcare.

Our Healthcare System Is More Than Complex, It Is Costly

According to a recent study, typical households pays $twenty-seven thousand each year for their health insurance (increasing by 6% compared to last year). The average employer health insurance cost is expected to exceed $seventeen thousand for each worker in 2026, a 9.5% jump compared to 2025.

Now the government is shut down due to political disagreements regarding subsidies which analysts predict could cause a doubling of premiums for millions of Americans.

When Will We Truly Examine National Health Insurance?

How soon might we genuinely evaluate a national health insurance program in the United States? I have to believe we're approaching that point because this situation is unsustainable.

I'm not proposing government-run medicine. I'm advocating that our already existing Medicare program – an established insurance framework – simply expand to include all citizens. The existing system remains intact. The way medical professionals get paid would change. Believe me, they'll adapt.

How National Health Insurance Would Work

Universal healthcare coverage would need payments from workers and companies. In comparable systems, an employee earning average wages must contribute approximately five point three percent toward medical coverage. The company must contribute approximately thirteen point seventy-five percent.

Does this seem expensive? Unless you compare that with what average American pays. I know dozens of businesses that are easily contributing between 8% to 15% of payroll costs to their healthcare costs. And keep in mind that in inclusive programs, those payments include retirement benefits, illness coverage, maternity leave and unemployment benefits in addition to funding medical services. When you add these expenses compared with what we pay for our retirement plans, job loss coverage and paid time off, the gap narrows.

Implementation for America

For America, universal healthcare funding would raise our Medicare tax deduction, a framework that is already in place. It should be means-based – wealthier individuals would contribute higher amounts than those earning less. There would be both an employee and company payments. Similar to many our government's defense, technology, welfare services and infrastructure, the program should be outsourced by private contractors instead of federal agencies.

Benefits for Small Businesses

Universal healthcare coverage would be a huge benefit for entrepreneurs such as my company. It would put us on a level playing field against big corporations that can pay for better plans. It would render management much easier (automatic payroll withholding remitted like social security and healthcare taxes, rather than individual transactions to benefit firms and insurance providers).

It would make it easier for us to budget annual expenditures, instead of going through the complex (and fruitless) process of negotiating with major insurers required annually each year. Because it's simplified, there would exist a better understanding of coverage by our employees – contrasted with existing arrangements which require them to decipher the complications of existing plans. And there would definitely exist reduced responsibility for companies since we wouldn't would be privy to workers' health histories for weighing risks and different options.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as pro-market as they get. But I've learned that public institutions play important functions in our lives, from providing defense to funding needed infrastructure. Ensuring medical coverage to all via universal healthcare enhances our economy's infrastructure. It's a better, simpler approach for small businesses that employ more than half of the country's workers and fund half of our GDP. It makes it possible for workers to be healthier, have better attendance and be more productive.

Considering Challenges

Are there a million considerations I'm not addressing? Of course there are. But with rising medical expenses experienced in recent years, it's evident that the Affordable Care Act is not working effectively. And I realize that we're not a small, Scandinavian country where big changes can be readily adopted. However extending universal Medicare, even with the additional taxes that would be incurred, would still be a superior and less expensive approach both for controlling healthcare costs and ensuring coverage to everyone.

Time for Realistic Evaluation

As Americans, must tone down national pride. America's medical care isn't exceptional. The US places well below many other countries in healthcare quality globally, based on comprehensive research. Perhaps a positive aspect in this present circumstances is that we undertake a hard look at ourselves and agree that big changes need to happen.