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Out-of-pocket costs. Preferred providers. Non-preferred providers. Concierge medical services. Out-of-pocket expenses. Fixed payment. Co-insurance. Benefit advisers. Insurance brokers. Medical advisors. ACA. Health Maintenance Organization. Preferred Provider Organization. EPO. POS. HDHP. HSA. FSA. HRA. EOB. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. SHOP. Single coverage. Family coverage. Premium tax credits.

Baffled? You should be. Who understands this complex system? Not the typical entrepreneur. Nor the typical employee. Choosing the appropriate medical coverage for our business – or for households – appears to require demands a PhD in healthcare.

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

Based on recent research, typical households pays $twenty-seven thousand annually on medical coverage (increasing by 6% from last year). Typical company healthcare expense is projected to exceed $17,000 per employee by 2026, an increase of 9.5% compared to 2025.

Now the government is shut down because political disagreements over subsidies which analysts predict could cause premium increases up to 100% for millions of Americans.

When Might We Seriously Consider Universal Healthcare?

When will we seriously consider a national health insurance program in the United States? I have to believe we're getting closer because this situation is unsustainable.

I'm not proposing government-run medicine. I'm proposing that our already existing Medicare system – an established insurance framework – merely extend to include all citizens. Our infrastructure remains intact. The way medical professionals receive payment changes. Trust me, they will adjust.

The Way National Health Insurance Could Function

A national health insurance program would require payments from both workers and companies. In similar programs, a worker earning average wages pays approximately 5.3% to their healthcare. The company must contribute approximately thirteen point seventy-five percent.

Does this appear like a lot? Not if you contrast it to what average American pays. I know dozens of businesses that are easily contributing between eight to fifteen percent of payroll costs for medical benefits. Remember that with inclusive programs, those payments include pension plans, illness coverage, parental benefits and job loss protection along with funding healthcare facilities. When including those costs compared with our current spending for our retirement plans, unemployment insurance and paid time off, the gap narrows.

Implementation in the US

In the US, universal healthcare funding would increase existing Medicare taxes, a framework already established. It should be income-adjusted – wealthier individuals would pay more than those earning less. This includes both worker and company payments. And, like many federal military, IT, welfare services and transportation services, the program should be outsourced by private contractors rather than federal agencies.

Advantages for Entrepreneurs

A national health insurance program would be a significant advantage for entrepreneurs like mine. It would place small companies in equal competition with our larger competitors that can pay for better plans. It would render management significantly simpler (automatic payroll withholding remitted like retirement and Medicare taxes, instead of separate payments to benefit firms and coverage administrators).

It would enable simpler to plan expenses annual expenditures, instead of enduring the complex (and fruitless) process of bargaining with the big insurance providers that we must do each year. Due to simplification, there would be a better understanding of coverage by our employees – as opposed to existing arrangements which require them to interpret the complications of current options. And there would definitely exist reduced responsibility for employers as we no longer would be privy to workers' health histories for purposes of weighing risks and different options.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as pro-market as possible. But I've learned that government play important functions in society, including national security to funding essential systems. Providing healthcare to all via universal healthcare enhances economic foundations. It represents superior, easier system for small businesses which hire more than half of American employees and fund half of our GDP. 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. But with rising medical expenses experienced recently, it's clear that current healthcare legislation isn't functioning effectively. And I realize that America isn't a small, Scandinavian country where major reforms can be readily adopted. But expanding universal Medicare, even with the additional taxes required, would still be a superior and more affordable approach both for controlling healthcare costs and ensuring coverage to everyone.

Need for Honest Assessment

We as Americans, must tone down our own arrogance. Our healthcare system isn't so great. The US places well below many other countries with the best healthcare globally, according to major studies. Maybe one bright spot in this present circumstances could be that we take serious examination in the mirror and acknowledge that major reforms need to happen.