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Out-of-pocket costs. In-network. Non-preferred providers. Concierge medical services. Personal healthcare costs. Co-payment. Co-insurance. Insurance consultants. Insurance brokers. Medical advisors. Affordable Care Act. HMO. PPO. EPO. Point of Service. HDHP. HSA. Flexible Spending Account. Health Reimbursement Arrangement. EOB. COBRA. SHOP. Single coverage. Family coverage. Premium tax credits.

Baffled? It's understandable. Who understands this complex system? Certainly not the average entrepreneur. Neither the average employee. Selecting the appropriate healthcare insurance for our business – or for households – seems like demands a PhD in healthcare.

The Medical System Is More Than Complex, It Is Costly

According to a recent study, typical households spends $27,000 each year for their health insurance (increasing by 6% from last year). Typical company healthcare expense is projected to exceed $seventeen thousand for each worker in 2026, a 9.5% jump compared to 2025.

Currently federal operations is shut down because political disagreements regarding tax credits that experts say could cause a doubling of premiums for millions of Americans.

When Will We Seriously Consider National Health Insurance?

How soon might we seriously consider universal healthcare coverage here in America? I'm convinced we're approaching that point because this situation is unsustainable.

I'm not proposing national healthcare. I'm proposing for our current Medicare program – an established insurance framework – simply expand to cover everyone. The existing system remains intact. The way medical professionals get paid changes. Trust me, they will adjust.

The Way National Health Insurance Could Function

A national health insurance program would require contributions from workers and companies. In comparable systems, an employee earning moderate income pays about 5.3% to their healthcare. The company must contribute about 13.75%.

Does this seem expensive? Not if you compare that with what the typical American pays. I can name dozens of businesses that are easily contributing between eight to fifteen percent of payroll costs to their healthcare costs. Remember that in inclusive programs, those payments include retirement benefits, illness coverage, maternity leave and job loss protection along with supporting medical services. When including these expenses versus our current spending on retirement programs, unemployment insurance and paid time off, the difference decreases.

Implementation in the US

For America, a national health premium would raise existing Medicare taxes, a framework already established. It ought to be means-based – those at higher income levels would contribute higher amounts than lower-income earners. There would be both worker and employer contribution. And, like many federal defense, IT, welfare services and transportation services, the system should be outsourced to third-party administrators instead of federal agencies.

Advantages for Small Businesses

A national health insurance program represents a significant advantage for small businesses such as my company. It would place small companies in equal competition against big corporations that can pay for superior coverage. It would make administration significantly simpler (a payroll deduction remitted like retirement and Medicare taxes, instead of separate payments to insurance companies and insurance providers).

It would make simpler for us to budget annual expenditures, instead of enduring the complicated (and ineffective) theater of bargaining with the big insurance providers that we must do each year. Due to simplification, there would be improved comprehension of coverage among workers – contrasted with the current system where they have to decipher the complexities of current options. Additionally there would definitely exist less liability for employers since we wouldn't have access to workers' health histories for risk assessment and alternative plans.

Capitalist Perspective

I'm as capitalist as possible. However I recognize that public institutions play important functions in our lives, from providing defense to supporting essential systems. Providing healthcare for everyone through a national insurance system strengthens our economy's infrastructure. It's a better, easier system for entrepreneurs which hire more than half of American employees and fund half the economic output. It makes it possible for workers to enjoy better health, have better attendance and be more productive.

Addressing Concerns

Exist numerous factors I'm not addressing? 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 very well. And I realize that America isn't a compact European nation where big changes can be readily adopted. But expanding universal Medicare, despite the additional taxes that would be incurred, would still be a superior and less expensive strategy both for controlling healthcare costs but providing access to everyone.

Time for Honest Assessment

As Americans, must tone down our own arrogance. America's medical care isn't exceptional. We rank well below numerous nations with the best healthcare globally, based on comprehensive research. Perhaps a positive aspect amid present circumstances could be that we undertake a hard look in the mirror and acknowledge that big changes are necessary.