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Deductibles. Preferred providers. Non-preferred providers. Premium health services. Out-of-pocket expenses. Fixed payment. Shared insurance. Insurance consultants. Coverage agents. Medical advisors. ACA. Health Maintenance Organization. PPO. EPO. POS. High Deductible Health Plan. HSA. FSA. HRA. EOB. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. Small Business Health Options Program. Single coverage. Family coverage. Insurance subsidies.

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

The Medical System Is More Than Complicated, It Is Expensive

According to a recent study, the average family pays $twenty-seven thousand each year for their health insurance (increasing by 6% compared to last year). The average employer health insurance cost is projected to surpass $17,000 for each worker in 2026, a 9.5% jump from 2025.

Now the government has ceased functioning due to political disagreements over subsidies that experts say will lead to a doubling of premiums for millions of Americans.

When Might We Seriously Consider Universal Healthcare?

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

I'm not proposing government-run medicine. I'm proposing for our current Medicare program – an insurance system – simply expand to include all citizens. Our infrastructure remains intact. How medical professionals get paid would change. Believe me, they'll adapt.

How National Health Insurance Could Function

Universal healthcare coverage would require payments from workers and companies. In comparable systems, an employee making average wages pays about five point three percent toward medical coverage. Their employer pays approximately 13.75%.

Does this seem expensive? Unless you contrast that with what the typical US resident spends. I can name multiple clients who are routinely paying between 8% to 15% of their employee wages for medical benefits. And keep in mind that in inclusive programs, those payments include pension plans, illness coverage, maternity leave and job loss protection along with funding medical services. When including these expenses versus what we pay on retirement programs, unemployment insurance and paid time off, the gap narrows.

Implementation in the US

For America, a national health premium would raise our Medicare tax deduction, a system that is already in place. It should be income-adjusted – those at higher income levels would pay more than lower-income earners. This includes both worker and employer contribution. And, like many federal military, technology, social programs and infrastructure, the program could be managed to third-party administrators rather than a government office.

Advantages for Small Businesses

Universal healthcare coverage represents a significant advantage for entrepreneurs like mine. It would place us on a level playing field with our larger competitors that can pay for superior coverage. It would render management significantly simpler (a payroll deduction remitted like social security and Medicare taxes, rather than separate payments to benefit firms and insurance providers).

It would enable simpler for us to budget our yearly costs, instead of enduring the complex (and ineffective) process of negotiating with major insurers required annually every year. Due to simplification, there would be improved comprehension about benefits by our employees – as opposed to existing arrangements which require them to decipher the complexities of existing plans. Additionally there would certainly be less liability for employers as we no longer have access to our employees' health histories for weighing risks and alternative plans.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as capitalist as they get. But I've learned that public institutions play important functions in society, from providing defense to funding essential systems. Ensuring medical coverage to all via universal healthcare enhances our economy's infrastructure. It represents superior, simpler approach for small businesses that employ more than half of American employees and fund half the economic output. It makes it possible for workers to be healthier, come to work more often and increase productivity.

Considering Challenges

Are there numerous factors I haven't covered? Of course there are. Given all the healthcare cost increases we've seen in recent years, it's evident that the Affordable Care Act isn't functioning very well. And I realize that we're not a small, Scandinavian country where big changes are easier to implement. However extending Medicare for all, even with increased taxation required, would remain a superior and less expensive strategy for not only controlling healthcare costs and ensuring coverage for all citizens.

Time for Honest Assessment

We as Americans, we need to tone down our own arrogance. America's medical care isn't so great. We rank significantly behind many other countries with the best healthcare in the world, according to major studies. Maybe one bright spot in this present circumstances is that we take a hard look in the mirror and acknowledge that big changes need to happen.