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Deductibles. Preferred providers. Non-preferred providers. Concierge medical services. Out-of-pocket expenses. Fixed payment. Shared insurance. Insurance consultants. Coverage agents. Healthcare consultants. Affordable Care Act. Health Maintenance Organization. Preferred Provider Organization. EPO. Point of Service. HDHP. Health Savings Account. FSA. Health Reimbursement Arrangement. Explanation of Benefits. COBRA. SHOP. Single coverage. Family coverage. Premium tax credits.

Baffled? You should be. Who understands all this stuff? Certainly not the average entrepreneur. Neither the average worker. Choosing the right healthcare insurance for our business – or for our families – appears to require demands a PhD in medical insurance.

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

Based on recent research, the average family spends $twenty-seven thousand each year on medical coverage (up 6% compared to last year). Typical company healthcare expense is projected to exceed $seventeen thousand per employee in 2026, a 9.5% jump from 2025.

Currently the government has ceased functioning because partisan disputes over tax credits which analysts predict will lead to premium increases up to 100% for numerous US citizens.

When Might We Seriously Consider National Health Insurance?

How soon might we seriously consider universal healthcare coverage in the United States? I have to believe we're getting closer since this can't continue.

I'm not suggesting national healthcare. I'm advocating that our already existing Medicare system – an established insurance framework – merely extend to cover everyone. The existing system doesn't change. How medical professionals receive payment changes. Trust me, they will adjust.

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 making average wages must contribute about five point three percent toward medical coverage. The company pays about 13.75%.

Does this seem like a lot? Unless you compare it to what average US resident spends. I know multiple clients who are routinely paying anywhere from eight to fifteen percent of their employee wages to their healthcare costs. Remember that with inclusive programs, these contributions include retirement benefits, illness coverage, parental benefits and job loss protection along with funding healthcare facilities. When you add these expenses versus what we pay on retirement programs, job loss coverage and paid time off, the gap narrows.

Implementation for America

For America, a national health premium would raise our Medicare tax deduction, a framework that is already in place. It should be income-adjusted – those at higher income levels would pay more than those earning less. This includes both an employee and company payments. And, like many our government's defense, technology, welfare services and infrastructure, the program should be outsourced to third-party administrators instead of a government office.

Advantages for Entrepreneurs

Universal healthcare coverage represents a huge benefit for entrepreneurs like mine. It would place us on a level playing field against big corporations that can pay for superior coverage. It would make administration significantly simpler (automatic payroll withholding processed similarly to retirement and Medicare taxes, instead of separate payments to insurance companies and coverage administrators).

It would enable simpler for us to budget our yearly costs, rather than enduring the complicated (and ineffective) theater of negotiating with the big insurance providers that we must do every year. Due to simplification, there would exist a better understanding about benefits among workers – as opposed to the current system where they have to interpret the complications of existing plans. And there would certainly be reduced responsibility for employers as we no longer would be privy to workers' health histories for purposes of risk assessment and alternative plans.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as capitalist as possible. But I've learned that public institutions play important functions in society, from providing defense to funding essential systems. Ensuring medical coverage to all through a national insurance system enhances economic foundations. It's a better, simpler approach for small businesses which hire the majority of American employees and generate half the economic output. It enables employees to be healthier, have better attendance and increase productivity.

Addressing Concerns

Exist a million considerations I haven't covered? Of course there are. But with all the healthcare cost increases experienced in recent years, it's evident that the Affordable Care Act isn't functioning very well. I understand that America isn't a compact European nation where big changes are easier to implement. 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, we need to reduce our own arrogance. Our healthcare system isn't exceptional. We rank well below many other countries with the best healthcare in the world, based on major studies. Perhaps a bright spot in this current situation is that we undertake a hard look in the mirror and agree that major reforms need to happen.