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Deductibles. In-network. Out-of-network. Premium health services. Personal healthcare costs. Co-payment. Co-insurance. Benefit advisers. Insurance brokers. Healthcare consultants. Affordable Care Act. Health Maintenance Organization. Preferred Provider Organization. Exclusive Provider Organization. POS. High Deductible Health Plan. HSA. Flexible Spending Account. Health Reimbursement Arrangement. EOB. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. SHOP. Single coverage. Family coverage. Premium tax credits.

Baffled? You should be. Who understands this complex system? Certainly not the average entrepreneur. Neither the average worker. Selecting the right healthcare insurance for companies – or for our families – seems like demands advanced expertise in medical insurance.

The Medical System Is More Than Complicated, It Is Costly

Based on a recent study, the average family pays $twenty-seven thousand each year for their health insurance (up 6% from last year). Typical employer health insurance cost is projected to exceed $seventeen thousand for each worker by 2026, a 9.5% jump compared to 2025.

Now federal operations is shut down because political disagreements regarding subsidies which analysts predict could cause a doubling of premiums for millions of Americans.

When Will We Seriously Consider National Health Insurance?

When will we genuinely evaluate universal healthcare coverage here in America? I'm convinced we're approaching that point since this situation is unsustainable.

I'm not proposing government-run medicine. I'm advocating for our current Medicare program – an insurance system – simply expand to cover everyone. The existing system remains intact. The way medical professionals get paid changes. Believe me, they'll adapt.

The Way National Health Insurance Would Work

A national health insurance program would need payments from employees and employers. In similar programs, an employee making moderate income pays approximately 5.3% toward medical coverage. The company must contribute approximately 13.75%.

Does this seem expensive? Not if you compare it to what average American pays. I know dozens of clients that are routinely paying anywhere from 8% to 15% of their employee wages to their healthcare costs. Remember that in inclusive programs, these contributions include retirement benefits, illness coverage, maternity leave and job loss protection in addition to funding medical services. When you add these expenses versus what we pay for our retirement plans, unemployment insurance and paid time off, the gap narrows.

Execution for America

For America, universal healthcare funding would increase our Medicare tax deduction, a system that is already in place. It should be means-based – those at higher income levels would pay more than those earning less. This includes both worker and company payments. Similar to many federal military, IT, social programs and infrastructure, the system should be outsourced to third-party administrators rather than a government office.

Advantages for Entrepreneurs

A national health insurance program represents a significant advantage for small businesses like mine. It would place us on a level playing field with our larger competitors who can afford superior coverage. It would make administration significantly simpler (a payroll deduction processed similarly to retirement and healthcare taxes, rather than separate payments to insurance companies and coverage administrators).

It would make it easier for us to budget annual expenditures, instead of enduring the complex (and fruitless) process of negotiating with the big insurance providers that we must do every year. Because it's simplified, there would exist improved comprehension about benefits among workers – as opposed to existing arrangements which require them to interpret the complexities of existing plans. Additionally there would certainly be reduced responsibility for companies as we no longer would be privy to our employees' medical records for weighing risks and alternative plans.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as capitalist as they get. But I've learned that public institutions play important functions in society, 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 that employ the majority of the country's workers and generate half the economic output. It enables for workers to be healthier, come to work more often and increase productivity.

Considering Challenges

Are there a million considerations I haven't covered? Certainly. But with all the healthcare cost increases experienced in recent years, it's clear that current healthcare legislation is not working very well. And I realize that we're not a compact European nation where major reforms are easier to implement. However extending universal Medicare, despite the additional taxes required, would still be a superior and less expensive strategy both for managing medical expenses and ensuring coverage to everyone.

Need for Realistic Evaluation

We 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 with the best healthcare globally, according to major studies. Perhaps a bright spot in this current situation could be that we undertake serious examination at ourselves and acknowledge that big changes need to happen.