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Deductibles. In-network. Non-preferred providers. Concierge medical services. Personal healthcare costs. Co-payment. Shared insurance. Insurance consultants. Coverage agents. Healthcare consultants. ACA. Health Maintenance Organization. PPO. EPO. Point of Service. HDHP. HSA. Flexible Spending Account. HRA. EOB. COBRA. SHOP. Single coverage. Family coverage. Premium tax credits.

Baffled? You should be. Who understands this complex system? Certainly not the average business owner. Neither the average employee. Choosing the appropriate healthcare insurance for companies – or for households – seems like demands advanced expertise in medical insurance.

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

Based on a recent study, typical households spends $twenty-seven thousand annually on medical coverage (increasing by 6% from last year). Typical company healthcare expense is projected to exceed $17,000 for each worker in 2026, an increase of 9.5% compared to 2025.

Now the government is shut down because partisan disputes regarding tax credits that experts say will lead to a doubling of premiums for numerous US citizens.

When Might We Seriously Consider Universal Healthcare?

When will we seriously consider universal healthcare coverage in the United States? I'm convinced we're getting closer since this situation is unsustainable.

I'm not proposing government-run medicine. I'm proposing for our current Medicare program – an established insurance framework – merely extend to include all citizens. Our infrastructure doesn't change. How our healthcare providers get paid would change. Trust me, they will adjust.

How National Health Insurance Would Work

Universal healthcare coverage would require payments from employees and employers. In similar programs, a worker earning moderate income pays about five point three percent toward medical coverage. Their employer must contribute approximately thirteen point seventy-five percent.

Does this appear like a lot? Unless you contrast it to what the typical US resident spends. I know multiple clients who are routinely paying between 8% to 15% of their employee wages for medical benefits. And keep in mind that with comprehensive systems, these contributions include pension plans, illness coverage, maternity leave and unemployment benefits along with supporting medical services. When including these expenses compared with our current spending on retirement programs, job loss coverage and paid time off, the gap narrows.

Execution in the US

In the US, universal healthcare funding would raise existing Medicare taxes, a framework already established. It should be means-based – those at higher income levels would pay more than lower-income earners. There would be both worker and company payments. And, like many our government's defense, IT, social programs 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 would be a significant advantage for entrepreneurs such as my company. It would put small companies in equal competition with our larger competitors who can afford superior coverage. It would make management significantly simpler (automatic payroll withholding processed similarly to retirement and Medicare taxes, instead of separate payments to benefit firms and insurance providers).

It would make simpler to plan expenses annual expenditures, instead of going through the complex (and ineffective) process of negotiating with major insurers required annually each year. Because it's simplified, there would exist a better understanding of coverage among workers – contrasted with the current system where they have to decipher the complexities of existing plans. And there would definitely exist reduced responsibility for employers since we wouldn't would be privy to workers' health histories for purposes of weighing risks and different options.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as capitalist as they get. But I've learned that government play important functions in society, including national security to supporting needed infrastructure. Ensuring medical coverage for everyone through a national insurance system strengthens economic foundations. It represents superior, easier system for entrepreneurs which hire more than half of American employees and fund half the economic output. It enables for workers to be healthier, have better attendance and be more productive.

Considering Challenges

Exist numerous factors I haven't covered? Of course there are. Given all the healthcare cost increases we've seen recently, it's clear that the Affordable Care Act is not working very well. I understand that America isn't a small, Scandinavian country where major reforms can be readily adopted. But expanding universal Medicare, despite the additional taxes that would be incurred, would remain a better and less expensive approach both for controlling healthcare costs but providing access for all citizens.

Time for Realistic Evaluation

As Americans, we need to reduce national pride. Our healthcare system isn't exceptional. We rank well below many other countries with the best healthcare in the world, according to major studies. Maybe one bright spot amid current situation is that we undertake a hard look in the mirror and agree that big changes need to happen.