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Out-of-pocket costs. Preferred providers. Non-preferred providers. Concierge medical services. Personal healthcare costs. Fixed payment. Shared insurance. Insurance consultants. Insurance brokers. Medical advisors. Affordable Care Act. Health Maintenance Organization. Preferred Provider Organization. EPO. POS. High Deductible Health Plan. Health Savings Account. Flexible Spending Account. HRA. EOB. COBRA. Small Business Health Options Program. Individual coverage. Family coverage. Insurance subsidies.

Baffled? You should be. Who understands this complex system? Certainly not the average business owner. Neither the average worker. Choosing the right healthcare insurance for our business – or for our families – appears to require demands a PhD in medical insurance.

Our Medical System Is More Than Complex, It's Costly

Based on 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 by 2026, an increase of 9.5% from 2025.

Currently federal operations is shut down due to partisan disputes regarding subsidies that experts say will lead to premium increases up to 100% for numerous US citizens.

When Might We Truly Examine Universal Healthcare?

When will we seriously consider a national health insurance program in the United States? I have to believe we're getting closer since this can't continue.

I'm not suggesting national healthcare. I'm proposing that our already existing Medicare program – 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.

How Universal Coverage Would Work

Universal healthcare coverage would need payments from both employees and employers. In similar programs, a worker making moderate income pays about five point three percent toward medical coverage. The company must contribute about 13.75%.

Does this appear expensive? Unless you contrast that with what the typical American pays. I know multiple clients that are easily contributing anywhere from eight to fifteen percent of their employee wages for medical benefits. Remember that with inclusive programs, these contributions include retirement benefits, sick pay, maternity leave and unemployment benefits in addition to funding medical services. When including these expenses versus what we pay for our retirement plans, job loss coverage and paid time off, the difference decreases.

Execution in the US

For America, universal healthcare funding would increase existing Medicare taxes, a framework already established. It should be income-adjusted – those at higher income levels would pay more than those earning less. This includes both an employee and company payments. Similar to many federal military, IT, welfare services and infrastructure, the system should be outsourced by private contractors rather than federal agencies.

Advantages for Entrepreneurs

A national health insurance program represents a significant advantage for small businesses like mine. It would put us on a level playing field against big corporations who can afford better plans. It would render management much easier (a payroll deduction processed similarly to social security and Medicare taxes, instead of individual transactions to benefit firms and insurance providers).

It would enable it easier to plan expenses annual expenditures, rather than going through the complicated (and ineffective) theater of negotiating with major insurers that we must do each year. Because it's simplified, there would be a better understanding of coverage among workers – as opposed to existing arrangements which require them to decipher the complexities of current options. And there would definitely exist less liability for employers since we wouldn't have access to workers' health histories for purposes of weighing risks and different options.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as pro-market as they get. But I've learned that government has a significant role in society, including national security to funding needed infrastructure. Ensuring medical coverage to all via universal healthcare strengthens our economy's infrastructure. It represents superior, easier system for small businesses which hire the majority of the country's workers and generate half of our GDP. It enables for workers to enjoy better health, come to work more often and increase productivity.

Addressing Concerns

Are there numerous factors I haven't covered? Certainly. But with all the healthcare cost increases we've seen recently, it's evident that current healthcare legislation is not working very well. I understand that we're not a small, Scandinavian country where big changes can be readily adopted. But expanding universal Medicare, even with the additional taxes that would be incurred, would still be a better and more affordable approach for not only controlling healthcare costs but providing access for all citizens.

Time for Realistic Evaluation

We as Americans, we need to tone down national pride. America's medical care isn't so great. We rank significantly behind numerous nations with the best healthcare in the world, according to major studies. Perhaps a bright spot amid current situation could be that we take serious examination in the mirror and agree that major reforms are necessary.