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Deductibles. Preferred providers. Non-preferred providers. Premium health services. Out-of-pocket expenses. Fixed payment. Shared insurance. Benefit advisers. Insurance brokers. Medical advisors. ACA. HMO. Preferred Provider Organization. EPO. POS. High Deductible Health Plan. Health Savings Account. FSA. Health Reimbursement Arrangement. Explanation of Benefits. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. Small Business Health Options Program. Individual coverage. Dependent coverage. Insurance subsidies.

Confused? You should be. Who comprehends all this stuff? Not the typical business owner. Neither the average employee. Selecting the right medical coverage for companies – or for our families – appears to require it requires advanced expertise in medical insurance.

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

Based on a recent study, the average family spends $twenty-seven thousand annually for their health insurance (increasing by 6% from last year). The average company healthcare expense is expected to exceed $seventeen thousand for each worker in 2026, a 9.5% jump from 2025.

Now the government is shut down because partisan disputes regarding tax credits that experts say could cause 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 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 established insurance framework – simply expand to include all citizens. The existing system doesn't change. The way medical professionals get paid would change. Trust me, they'll adapt.

The Way Universal Coverage Would Work

Universal healthcare coverage would need payments from both employees and employers. In similar programs, a worker making average wages pays approximately 5.3% to their healthcare. The company pays about thirteen point seventy-five percent.

Does this seem expensive? Not if you compare that with what average US resident spends. I know multiple clients who are easily contributing between 8% to 15% of payroll costs to their healthcare costs. Remember that in comprehensive systems, these contributions include retirement benefits, sick pay, maternity leave and unemployment benefits along with supporting medical services. When including these expenses versus what we pay for our retirement plans, unemployment insurance and paid time off, the gap narrows.

Execution for America

For America, a national health premium would increase our Medicare tax deduction, a framework that is already in place. It should be means-based – those at higher income levels would pay more than lower-income earners. This includes both an employee and company payments. And, like much of our government's defense, technology, social programs and infrastructure, the program should be outsourced by private contractors rather than federal agencies.

Advantages for Small Businesses

A national health insurance program represents a significant advantage for small businesses like mine. It would place us on a level playing field against big corporations who can afford superior coverage. It would make administration significantly simpler (a payroll deduction remitted like retirement and healthcare taxes, instead of separate payments to benefit firms and insurance providers).

It would make it easier to plan expenses annual expenditures, instead of going through the complicated (and fruitless) theater of bargaining with the big insurance providers required annually each year. Because it's simplified, there would exist improved comprehension about benefits among workers – as opposed to existing arrangements where they have to decipher the complexities of current options. Additionally there would certainly be reduced responsibility for employers as we no longer have access to our employees' medical records for purposes of risk assessment and different options.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as pro-market as possible. However I recognize that public institutions play important functions in our lives, from providing defense to funding essential systems. Providing healthcare to all via universal healthcare strengthens economic foundations. It represents superior, simpler approach for entrepreneurs which hire more than half of American employees and fund half the economic output. It makes it possible employees to enjoy better health, come to work more often and increase productivity.

Considering Challenges

Exist numerous factors I haven't covered? Of course there are. But with all the healthcare cost increases experienced in recent years, it's evident that current healthcare legislation is not working effectively. I understand that we're not a compact European nation where big changes can be readily adopted. However extending Medicare for all, even with increased taxation that would be incurred, would remain a superior and more affordable approach for not only managing medical expenses but providing access for all citizens.

Need for Honest Assessment

As Americans, we need to tone down our own arrogance. America's medical care isn't exceptional. The US places well below many other countries in healthcare quality in the world, based on major studies. Maybe one positive aspect amid current situation is that we take serious examination in the mirror and agree that major reforms need to happen.