🔗 Share this article

Out-of-pocket costs. Preferred providers. Non-preferred providers. Premium health services. Out-of-pocket expenses. Fixed payment. Co-insurance. Benefit advisers. Coverage agents. Healthcare consultants. Affordable Care Act. Health Maintenance Organization. PPO. EPO. POS. High Deductible Health Plan. HSA. FSA. Health Reimbursement Arrangement. EOB. COBRA. SHOP. Individual coverage. Family coverage. Premium tax credits.

Confused? You should be. Who understands all this stuff? Certainly not the average business owner. Nor the typical employee. Selecting the appropriate healthcare insurance for our business – or for our families – appears to require demands a PhD in medical insurance.

The Medical System Isn't Just Complex, It Is Expensive

According to a recent study, the average family spends $twenty-seven thousand each year on medical coverage (up 6% from last year). Typical company healthcare expense is expected to surpass $17,000 for each worker in 2026, a 9.5% jump compared to 2025.

Now the government is shut down because partisan disputes over subsidies that experts say will lead to a doubling of premiums for millions of Americans.

When Might We Truly Examine National Health Insurance?

How soon might we genuinely evaluate universal healthcare coverage here in America? I'm convinced we're getting closer since this can't continue.

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

The Way Universal Coverage Would Work

Universal healthcare coverage would need payments from employees and employers. In similar programs, an employee making average wages must contribute about five point three percent to their healthcare. The company must contribute approximately 13.75%.

Does this seem expensive? Not if you compare it to what the typical US resident spends. I can name dozens of clients who are easily contributing anywhere from 8% to 15% of their employee wages for medical benefits. Remember that with inclusive programs, those payments also cover pension plans, sick pay, parental benefits and job loss protection in addition to funding medical services. When you add those costs compared with what we pay on retirement programs, job loss coverage and paid time off, the gap narrows.

Execution 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 means-based – those at higher income levels would contribute higher amounts than lower-income earners. There would be both an employee and company payments. Similar to much of federal military, technology, social programs and transportation services, the program should be outsourced to third-party administrators rather than federal agencies.

Advantages for Small Businesses

A national health insurance program would be 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 render management much easier (automatic payroll withholding remitted like retirement and healthcare taxes, instead of individual transactions to benefit firms and coverage administrators).

It would enable simpler for us to budget our yearly costs, rather than going through the complex (and fruitless) theater of bargaining with the big insurance providers that we must do every year. Because it's simplified, there would be a better understanding about benefits by our employees – as opposed to existing arrangements where they have to decipher the complexities of existing plans. Additionally there would certainly be less liability for employers since we wouldn't would be privy to workers' medical records for purposes of weighing risks and alternative plans.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as pro-market as they get. However I recognize that government play important functions in our lives, including national security to funding essential systems. Providing healthcare to all through a national insurance system strengthens our economy's infrastructure. It represents superior, simpler approach for small businesses which hire more than half of American employees and generate half of our GDP. It enables for workers to be healthier, come to work more often and increase productivity.

Addressing Concerns

Are there numerous factors I'm not addressing? Certainly. But with all the healthcare cost increases experienced recently, it's evident that the Affordable Care Act is not working very well. I understand that we're not a small, Scandinavian country where big changes can be readily adopted. But expanding Medicare for all, despite the additional taxes required, would still be a superior and less expensive strategy both for managing medical expenses but providing access to everyone.

Time for Realistic Evaluation

As Americans, we need to tone down national pride. Our healthcare system isn't so great. We rank significantly behind many other countries with the best healthcare globally, based on comprehensive research. Maybe one positive aspect amid present circumstances could be that we undertake serious examination in the mirror and agree that major reforms need to happen.