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Out-of-pocket costs. In-network. Out-of-network. Concierge medical services. Personal healthcare costs. Fixed payment. Shared insurance. Insurance consultants. Coverage agents. Medical advisors. Affordable Care Act. HMO. Preferred Provider Organization. Exclusive Provider Organization. Point of Service. HDHP. HSA. Flexible Spending Account. HRA. Explanation of Benefits. COBRA. Small Business Health Options Program. Individual coverage. Family coverage. Premium tax credits.

Confused? It's understandable. Who comprehends all this stuff? Not the typical entrepreneur. Neither the average worker. Selecting the appropriate healthcare insurance for our business – or for our families – appears to require it requires advanced expertise in medical insurance.

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

According to recent research, typical households pays $twenty-seven thousand each year on medical coverage (up 6% from last year). The average company healthcare expense is projected to exceed $17,000 per employee by 2026, a 9.5% jump from 2025.

Currently the government has ceased functioning because partisan disputes over subsidies which analysts predict could cause premium increases up to 100% for millions of Americans.

When Will We Truly Examine Universal Healthcare?

How soon might we genuinely evaluate a national health insurance program here in America? I'm convinced 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 system – an insurance system – merely extend to include all citizens. Our infrastructure remains intact. How our healthcare providers get paid would change. Trust me, they'll adapt.

The Way National Health Insurance Could Function

A national health insurance program would need contributions from employees and employers. In comparable systems, a worker making average wages must contribute about 5.3% toward medical coverage. Their employer must contribute about 13.75%.

Does this seem like a lot? Not if you compare it to what the typical US resident spends. I know dozens of clients that are routinely paying anywhere from 8% to 15% of their employee wages to their healthcare costs. Remember that in inclusive programs, these contributions also cover retirement benefits, sick pay, maternity leave and job loss protection along with funding healthcare facilities. When including these expenses versus what we pay on retirement programs, job loss coverage and paid time off, the difference decreases.

Execution in the US

In the US, a national health premium would raise existing Medicare taxes, a system that is already in place. It ought to be income-adjusted – those at higher income levels would pay more than those earning less. There would be both worker and company payments. And, like many our government's military, technology, social programs and transportation services, the system could be managed by private contractors instead of a government office.

Benefits for Small Businesses

Universal healthcare coverage would be a huge benefit for entrepreneurs like mine. It would place small companies in equal competition against big corporations who can afford better plans. It would render management significantly simpler (a payroll deduction remitted like retirement and healthcare taxes, instead of individual transactions to benefit firms and insurance providers).

It would make simpler for us to budget annual expenditures, instead of enduring the complex (and ineffective) theater of bargaining with the big insurance providers required annually each year. Because it's simplified, there would be a better understanding of coverage among workers – as opposed to existing arrangements where they have to interpret 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 purposes of weighing risks and different options.

Capitalist Perspective

I'm as pro-market as possible. But I've learned that government has a significant role in society, from providing defense to supporting needed infrastructure. Ensuring medical coverage to all through a national insurance system strengthens economic foundations. 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 enables for workers to enjoy better health, have better attendance and increase productivity.

Addressing Concerns

Are there numerous factors I'm not addressing? Certainly. But with rising medical expenses experienced in recent years, it's clear that the Affordable Care Act isn't functioning very well. And I realize that we're not a compact European nation where big changes can be readily adopted. However extending universal Medicare, even with increased taxation that would be incurred, would remain a better and more affordable approach for not only controlling healthcare costs and ensuring coverage to everyone.

Time for Honest Assessment

We as Americans, we need to tone down national pride. Our healthcare system isn't exceptional. The US places significantly behind many other countries with the best healthcare in the world, according to major studies. Perhaps a positive aspect in this present circumstances could be that we take serious examination in the mirror and acknowledge that big changes need to happen.