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Deductibles. In-network. Non-preferred providers. Concierge medical services. Out-of-pocket expenses. Fixed payment. Co-insurance. Benefit advisers. Insurance brokers. Medical advisors. Affordable Care Act. Health Maintenance Organization. Preferred Provider Organization. Exclusive Provider Organization. POS. HDHP. Health Savings Account. FSA. HRA. EOB. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. Small Business Health Options Program. Individual coverage. Dependent coverage. Premium tax credits.

Baffled? It's understandable. Who comprehends all this stuff? Not the typical entrepreneur. Nor the typical worker. Choosing the right medical coverage for companies – or for households – appears to require demands a PhD in medical insurance.

The Medical System Is More Than Complicated, It's Expensive

According to recent research, 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 expected to surpass $17,000 per employee in 2026, a 9.5% jump from 2025.

Currently federal operations is shut down because partisan disputes over tax credits that experts say will lead to a doubling of premiums for numerous US citizens.

When Will We Seriously Consider Universal Healthcare?

How soon might we genuinely evaluate universal healthcare coverage in the United States? I have to believe we're getting closer since this situation is unsustainable.

I'm not proposing national healthcare. I'm proposing that our already existing Medicare system – an established insurance framework – simply expand to include all citizens. Our infrastructure doesn't change. How our healthcare providers get paid changes. Believe me, they'll adapt.

The Way Universal Coverage Could Function

A national health insurance program would need payments from both employees and employers. In similar programs, an employee making average wages must contribute approximately five point three percent toward medical coverage. Their employer must contribute about 13.75%.

Does this appear expensive? Unless you compare that with what the typical US resident spends. I know multiple businesses who are routinely paying anywhere from 8% to 15% of their employee wages to their healthcare costs. And keep in mind that with comprehensive systems, these contributions include pension plans, illness coverage, parental benefits and job loss protection in addition to funding medical services. When you add these expenses versus what we pay on retirement programs, unemployment insurance and paid time off, the difference decreases.

Execution in the US

For America, a national health premium would raise our Medicare tax deduction, a framework already established. It should be income-adjusted – wealthier individuals would pay more than lower-income earners. There would be both an employee and company payments. And, like many our government's military, technology, social programs and infrastructure, the system could be managed by private contractors rather than a government office.

Benefits for Entrepreneurs

A national health insurance program represents a huge benefit for small businesses like mine. It would put small companies in equal competition against big corporations that can pay for superior coverage. It would make management significantly simpler (automatic payroll withholding processed similarly to social security and healthcare taxes, instead of individual transactions to insurance companies and insurance providers).

It would enable it easier to plan expenses annual expenditures, rather than going through the complex (and ineffective) process of bargaining with major insurers required annually every year. Due to simplification, there would exist a better understanding about benefits among workers – contrasted with existing arrangements where they have to interpret the complications of existing plans. Additionally there would definitely exist less liability for employers since we wouldn't would be privy to our employees' health histories for risk assessment and alternative plans.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as pro-market as they get. But I've learned that government has a significant role in our lives, including national security to funding needed infrastructure. Providing healthcare for everyone through a national insurance system enhances our economy's infrastructure. It's a better, simpler approach for small businesses that employ the majority of American employees and generate half of our GDP. It enables for workers to be healthier, come to work more often and increase productivity.

Considering Challenges

Are there numerous factors I haven't covered? Of course there are. But with rising medical expenses we've seen in recent years, it's evident that the Affordable Care Act is not working effectively. And I realize that we're not a small, Scandinavian country where major reforms are easier to implement. However extending Medicare for all, 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.

Need for Honest Assessment

We as Americans, must tone down national pride. America's medical care isn't exceptional. The US places well below numerous nations in healthcare quality in the world, according to comprehensive research. Maybe one bright spot in this present circumstances is that we undertake a hard look at ourselves and agree that major reforms need to happen.