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Deductibles. Preferred providers. Out-of-network. Premium health services. Personal healthcare costs. Fixed payment. Shared insurance. Insurance consultants. Coverage agents. Medical advisors. ACA. Health Maintenance Organization. PPO. Exclusive Provider Organization. Point of Service. HDHP. HSA. FSA. Health Reimbursement Arrangement. Explanation of Benefits. COBRA. SHOP. Single coverage. Dependent coverage. Premium tax credits.

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

The Healthcare System Is More Than Complicated, It's Costly

Based on a recent study, the average family spends $twenty-seven thousand each year for their health insurance (increasing by 6% compared to last year). Typical employer health insurance cost is projected to exceed $17,000 per employee in 2026, an increase of 9.5% from 2025.

Currently the government is shut down due to political disagreements regarding tax credits which analysts predict will lead to premium increases up to 100% for millions of Americans.

When Will We Seriously Consider Universal Healthcare?

When will we genuinely evaluate universal healthcare coverage in the United States? I have to believe we're getting closer because this can't continue.

I'm not proposing national healthcare. I'm advocating that our already existing Medicare program – an insurance system – simply expand to include all citizens. Our infrastructure doesn't change. The way medical professionals get paid changes. Trust me, they'll adapt.

The Way Universal Coverage Would Work

A national health insurance program would need payments from both employees and employers. In similar programs, a worker making moderate income pays approximately 5.3% to their healthcare. Their employer pays about 13.75%.

Does this appear like a lot? Not if you compare it to what the typical US resident spends. I can name dozens of clients that are easily contributing between 8% to 15% of their employee wages for medical benefits. Remember that with comprehensive systems, those payments include retirement benefits, sick pay, parental benefits and job loss protection along with supporting medical services. When including those costs compared with what we pay on retirement programs, unemployment insurance and vacation benefits, the gap narrows.

Implementation in the US

In the US, a national health premium would raise our Medicare tax deduction, a framework already established. It ought to be income-adjusted – wealthier individuals would pay more than those earning less. There would be both worker and employer contribution. And, like much of our government's defense, IT, social programs and infrastructure, the system could be managed to third-party administrators rather than a government office.

Benefits for Small Businesses

A national health insurance program would be a significant advantage for entrepreneurs such as my company. It would place small companies in equal competition against big corporations that can pay for better plans. It would make administration significantly simpler (automatic payroll withholding processed similarly to retirement and healthcare taxes, instead of individual transactions to insurance companies and insurance providers).

It would make it easier for us to budget our yearly costs, rather than enduring the complex (and fruitless) theater of negotiating with the big insurance providers required annually every year. Because it's simplified, there would be improved comprehension about benefits by our employees – as opposed to existing arrangements where they have to interpret the complexities of current options. And there would definitely exist less liability for employers as we no longer have access to our employees' health histories for purposes of weighing risks and different options.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as pro-market as they get. But I've learned that government play important functions in our lives, from providing defense to funding essential systems. Ensuring medical coverage to all via universal healthcare strengthens our economy's infrastructure. It represents superior, easier system for small businesses which hire the majority of the country's workers and generate half of our GDP. It makes it possible employees to enjoy better health, have better attendance and be more productive.

Considering Challenges

Exist a million considerations I haven't covered? Of course there are. Given all the healthcare cost increases experienced recently, it's evident that the Affordable Care Act isn't functioning effectively. I understand that we're not a small, Scandinavian country where big changes can be readily adopted. However extending universal Medicare, even with the additional taxes required, would remain a better and less expensive approach both for controlling healthcare costs but providing access for all citizens.

Time for Honest Assessment

As Americans, we need to tone down our own arrogance. Our healthcare system isn't so great. The US places well below many other countries in healthcare quality in the world, according to major studies. Maybe one bright spot in this present circumstances could be that we take a hard look in the mirror and acknowledge that big changes are necessary.