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Out-of-pocket costs. In-network. Non-preferred providers. Premium health services. Out-of-pocket expenses. Co-payment. Shared insurance. Benefit advisers. Insurance brokers. Healthcare consultants. ACA. HMO. Preferred Provider Organization. EPO. Point of Service. HDHP. Health Savings Account. Flexible Spending Account. Health Reimbursement Arrangement. EOB. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. Small Business Health Options Program. Single coverage. Dependent coverage. Premium tax credits.

Confused? It's understandable. Who understands all this stuff? Not the typical business owner. Neither the average worker. Selecting the appropriate healthcare insurance for companies – or for our families – seems like demands a PhD in medical insurance.

Our Healthcare System Isn't Just Complicated, It's Expensive

According to recent research, the average family pays $27,000 annually for their health insurance (up 6% compared to last year). Typical company healthcare expense is projected to exceed $seventeen thousand per employee in 2026, a 9.5% jump compared to 2025.

Now the government has ceased functioning due to political disagreements regarding tax credits that experts say could cause a doubling of premiums for millions of Americans.

When Might We Seriously Consider Universal Healthcare?

How soon might we genuinely evaluate a national health insurance program here in America? I have to believe we're getting closer since this can't continue.

I'm not suggesting government-run medicine. I'm proposing that our already existing Medicare program – an established insurance framework – simply expand to include all citizens. Our infrastructure remains intact. The way our healthcare providers receive payment changes. Trust me, they will adjust.

The Way National Health Insurance Would Work

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

Does this appear expensive? Unless you contrast it to what average US resident spends. I know multiple businesses that are easily contributing anywhere from eight to fifteen percent of payroll costs to their healthcare costs. Remember that in inclusive programs, those payments also cover pension plans, illness coverage, parental benefits and job loss protection in addition to supporting medical services. When including those costs compared with what we pay on retirement programs, unemployment insurance and vacation benefits, the gap narrows.

Implementation in the US

For America, a national health premium would raise our Medicare tax deduction, a system that is already in place. It should be income-adjusted – those at higher income levels would pay more than those earning less. This includes both worker and company payments. And, like many our government's military, technology, social programs and infrastructure, the program should be outsourced to third-party administrators rather than federal agencies.

Benefits for Small Businesses

A national health insurance program would be a huge benefit for small businesses such as my company. It would place small companies in equal competition against big corporations who can afford superior coverage. It would make administration much easier (automatic payroll withholding remitted like social security and healthcare taxes, instead of separate payments to insurance companies and coverage administrators).

It would make simpler to plan expenses our yearly costs, rather than going through the complicated (and fruitless) theater of negotiating with the big insurance providers that we must do each year. Because it's simplified, there would be improved comprehension of coverage by our employees – contrasted with the current system where they have to interpret the complications of existing plans. Additionally there would definitely exist reduced responsibility for employers as we no longer would be privy to our employees' medical records for purposes of weighing risks and alternative plans.

Capitalist Perspective

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. Ensuring medical coverage to all through a national insurance system strengthens our economy's infrastructure. It's a better, simpler approach for entrepreneurs which hire more than half of the country's workers and fund half of our GDP. It enables for workers to be healthier, have better attendance and increase productivity.

Addressing Concerns

Are there numerous factors I haven't covered? Of course there are. But with rising medical expenses we've seen recently, it's evident that the Affordable Care Act isn't functioning very well. And I realize that America isn't a small, Scandinavian country where big changes are easier to implement. But expanding Medicare for all, even with increased taxation required, would still be a superior and less expensive strategy for not only managing medical expenses and ensuring coverage for all citizens.

Need for Realistic Evaluation

We as Americans, must reduce national pride. Our healthcare system isn't so great. We rank well below many other countries in healthcare quality globally, based on comprehensive research. Perhaps a bright spot in this present circumstances could be that we take serious examination in the mirror and acknowledge that big changes are necessary.