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Deductibles. In-network. Non-preferred providers. Concierge medical services. Out-of-pocket expenses. Co-payment. Shared insurance. Insurance consultants. Insurance brokers. Medical advisors. ACA. HMO. Preferred Provider Organization. EPO. POS. High Deductible Health Plan. HSA. Flexible Spending Account. HRA. EOB. COBRA. Small Business Health Options Program. Single coverage. Dependent coverage. Premium tax credits.

Baffled? It's understandable. Who comprehends all this stuff? Not the typical business owner. Nor the typical employee. Choosing the appropriate medical coverage for companies – or for households – appears to require it requires a PhD in healthcare.

Our Medical System Is More Than Complicated, It Is Costly

Based on recent research, typical households spends $27,000 annually on medical coverage (increasing by 6% compared to last year). The average company healthcare expense is projected to exceed $seventeen thousand for each worker by 2026, a 9.5% jump compared to 2025.

Currently the government has ceased functioning because partisan disputes over tax credits that experts say will lead to premium increases up to 100% for millions of Americans.

When Might We Truly Examine National Health Insurance?

When will we seriously consider universal healthcare coverage in the United States? I have to believe we're approaching that point because this can't continue.

I'm not proposing government-run medicine. I'm proposing for our current Medicare system – an established insurance framework – simply expand to include all citizens. The existing system doesn't change. The way our healthcare providers get paid changes. Believe me, they will adjust.

How National Health Insurance Could Function

A national health insurance program would need payments from employees and employers. In similar programs, a worker making moderate income must contribute about five point three percent to their healthcare. The company must contribute approximately thirteen point seventy-five percent.

Does this seem expensive? Not if you contrast it to what the typical US resident spends. I can name multiple businesses that are easily contributing between 8% to 15% of their employee wages to their healthcare costs. Remember that in comprehensive systems, those payments also cover retirement benefits, illness coverage, parental benefits and job loss protection along with supporting medical services. When you add these expenses compared with what we pay for our retirement plans, unemployment insurance and vacation benefits, the difference decreases.

Execution in the US

In the US, a national health premium would increase our Medicare tax deduction, a framework that is already in place. It ought to be means-based – those at higher income levels would contribute higher amounts than lower-income earners. This includes both worker and company payments. And, like much of federal military, IT, social programs and transportation services, the program could be managed by private contractors instead of a government office.

Benefits for Small Businesses

A national health insurance program would be a significant advantage for small businesses such as my company. It would place us on a level playing field with our larger competitors who can afford better plans. It would render management significantly simpler (automatic payroll withholding processed similarly to retirement and Medicare taxes, rather than individual transactions to benefit firms and coverage administrators).

It would make it easier for us to budget our yearly costs, instead of going through the complicated (and fruitless) process of negotiating with the big insurance providers required annually every year. Because it's simplified, there would be improved comprehension about benefits among workers – as opposed to existing arrangements where they have to interpret the complications of current options. And there would certainly be reduced responsibility for employers as we no longer 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. However I recognize that government has a significant role in society, including national security to supporting needed infrastructure. Ensuring medical coverage 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 the country's workers and fund half of our GDP. It enables for workers to enjoy better health, come to work more often and increase productivity.

Considering Challenges

Are there a million considerations I'm not addressing? Certainly. But with rising medical expenses experienced recently, it's evident that the Affordable Care Act isn't functioning effectively. I understand that we're not a compact European nation where big changes are easier to implement. But expanding universal Medicare, even with increased taxation required, would still be a superior and more affordable strategy for not only controlling healthcare costs and ensuring coverage to everyone.

Time for Honest Assessment

We as Americans, we need to reduce our own arrogance. America's medical care isn't so great. We rank significantly behind many other countries with the best healthcare in the world, according to major studies. Maybe one positive aspect amid present circumstances could be that we undertake serious examination at ourselves and agree that major reforms are necessary.