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Deductibles. Preferred providers. Out-of-network. Premium health services. Out-of-pocket expenses. Fixed payment. Shared insurance. Benefit advisers. Coverage agents. Healthcare consultants. Affordable Care Act. Health Maintenance Organization. PPO. EPO. Point of Service. HDHP. HSA. FSA. HRA. EOB. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. Small Business Health Options Program. Individual coverage. Dependent coverage. Premium tax credits.

Baffled? You should be. Who comprehends all this stuff? Not the typical entrepreneur. Neither the average employee. Choosing the right medical coverage for our business – or for households – appears to require demands advanced expertise in healthcare.

Our Medical System Is More Than Complicated, It's Costly

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

Now the government is shut down because political disagreements over subsidies which analysts predict will lead to a doubling of premiums for numerous US citizens.

When Will We Truly Examine 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 since this situation is unsustainable.

I'm not proposing government-run medicine. I'm proposing that our already existing Medicare system – an established insurance framework – simply expand to cover everyone. The existing system doesn't change. The way medical professionals receive payment would change. Believe me, they'll adapt.

The Way National Health Insurance Would Work

A national health insurance program would need payments from both workers and companies. In comparable systems, an employee earning moderate income pays approximately five point three percent toward medical coverage. The company must contribute approximately thirteen point seventy-five percent.

Does this seem like a lot? Unless you compare that with what the typical US resident spends. I know dozens of businesses that are routinely paying between eight to fifteen percent of their employee wages to their healthcare costs. And keep in mind that with inclusive programs, those payments include pension plans, illness coverage, maternity leave and unemployment benefits in addition to funding healthcare facilities. When including these expenses compared with our current spending for our retirement plans, unemployment insurance and paid time off, the difference decreases.

Implementation in the US

For America, a national health premium would increase our Medicare tax deduction, a system already established. It should be means-based – those at higher income levels would contribute higher amounts than lower-income earners. This includes both an employee and company payments. And, like many federal defense, technology, welfare services and transportation services, the program should be outsourced to third-party administrators instead of federal agencies.

Advantages for Small Businesses

A national health insurance program represents a huge benefit for small businesses such as my company. It would place small companies in equal competition with our larger competitors that can pay for better plans. It would render management significantly simpler (automatic payroll withholding remitted like social security and Medicare taxes, instead of separate payments to insurance companies and coverage administrators).

It would make it easier for us to budget our yearly costs, rather than going through the complex (and ineffective) process of bargaining with major insurers that we must do each year. Due to simplification, there would exist a better understanding about benefits among workers – as opposed to the current system where they have to decipher the complexities of existing plans. And there would definitely exist less liability for companies as we no longer have access to workers' health histories for purposes of risk assessment and alternative plans.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as capitalist as possible. However I recognize that government has a significant role in society, including national security to funding essential systems. Ensuring medical coverage to all through a national insurance system strengthens our economy's infrastructure. It's a better, simpler approach for small businesses which hire more than half of the country's workers and fund half the economic output. It makes it possible for workers to be healthier, have better attendance and increase productivity.

Considering Challenges

Are there a million considerations I haven't covered? Certainly. But with all the healthcare cost increases we've seen in recent years, it's evident that the Affordable Care Act isn't functioning effectively. And I realize that America isn't a compact European nation where big changes can be readily adopted. However extending Medicare for all, despite increased taxation that would be incurred, would still be a superior and less expensive approach both for controlling healthcare costs and ensuring coverage for all citizens.

Time for Honest Assessment

As Americans, we need to tone down national pride. America's medical care isn't exceptional. We rank significantly behind many other countries in healthcare quality in the world, according to major studies. Maybe one positive aspect in this current situation could be that we take a hard look in the mirror and agree that big changes are necessary.