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Deductibles. In-network. Non-preferred providers. Premium health services. Personal healthcare costs. Co-payment. Shared insurance. Insurance consultants. Insurance brokers. Medical advisors. ACA. Health Maintenance Organization. Preferred Provider Organization. Exclusive Provider Organization. Point of Service. HDHP. Health Savings Account. Flexible Spending Account. HRA. Explanation of Benefits. COBRA. Small Business Health Options Program. Individual coverage. Dependent coverage. Premium tax credits.

Baffled? It's understandable. Who comprehends all this stuff? Certainly not the average entrepreneur. Nor the typical employee. Choosing the right medical coverage for companies – or for our families – 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 pays $twenty-seven thousand annually on medical coverage (increasing by 6% from last year). Typical employer health insurance cost is projected to surpass $seventeen thousand per employee in 2026, an increase of 9.5% from 2025.

Currently the government is shut down due to partisan disputes over tax credits that experts say could cause premium increases up to 100% for millions of Americans.

When Will We Truly Examine National Health Insurance?

When will we genuinely evaluate a national health insurance program here in America? I'm convinced we're getting closer because this can't continue.

I'm not suggesting national healthcare. I'm proposing that our already existing Medicare system – an established insurance framework – merely extend to include all citizens. The existing system doesn't change. The way our healthcare providers receive payment changes. Believe me, they'll adapt.

How National Health Insurance Would Work

Universal healthcare coverage would need contributions from both employees and employers. In comparable systems, an employee earning moderate income pays about 5.3% toward medical coverage. Their employer pays approximately 13.75%.

Does this seem expensive? Unless you contrast it to what the typical American pays. I can name multiple clients who are routinely paying anywhere from eight to fifteen percent of their employee wages for medical benefits. And keep in mind that with inclusive programs, those payments include pension plans, illness coverage, maternity leave and job loss protection along with funding medical services. When you add those costs compared with what we pay on retirement programs, unemployment insurance and paid time off, the gap narrows.

Execution in the US

In the US, universal healthcare funding would increase our Medicare tax deduction, a framework already established. It ought to be means-based – wealthier individuals would contribute higher amounts than lower-income earners. There would be both an employee and company payments. And, like much of our government's defense, technology, welfare services and infrastructure, the program should be outsourced by private contractors instead of federal agencies.

Advantages for Small Businesses

A national health insurance program would be a significant advantage for small businesses like mine. It would put us on a level playing field against big corporations that can pay for superior coverage. It would render management much easier (automatic payroll withholding processed similarly to social security and healthcare taxes, rather than separate payments to benefit firms and coverage administrators).

It would enable it easier for us to budget our yearly costs, rather than going through the complex (and ineffective) process of negotiating with major insurers that we must do each year. Because it's simplified, there would exist improved comprehension about benefits among workers – as opposed to the current system where they have to interpret the complications of current options. Additionally there would certainly be reduced responsibility for employers since we wouldn't would be privy to our employees' medical records for purposes of weighing risks and alternative plans.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as capitalist as possible. But I've learned that public institutions play important functions in our lives, including national security to funding needed infrastructure. Ensuring medical coverage for everyone through a national insurance system strengthens economic foundations. It's a better, easier system for entrepreneurs that employ the majority of American employees and generate half of our GDP. It enables employees to be healthier, come to work more often and increase productivity.

Addressing Concerns

Exist numerous factors I haven't covered? Certainly. But with all the healthcare cost increases we've seen in recent years, it's evident that current healthcare legislation is not working very well. I understand that we're not a compact European nation where major reforms can be readily adopted. However extending universal Medicare, despite increased taxation that would be incurred, would remain a better and less expensive approach both for managing medical expenses but providing access to everyone.

Time for Honest Assessment

We as Americans, we need to reduce national pride. America's medical care isn't so great. The US places significantly behind many other countries with the best healthcare globally, based on major studies. Perhaps a bright spot in this current situation is that we undertake serious examination in the mirror and acknowledge that major reforms need to happen.