🔗 Share this article

Deductibles. In-network. Non-preferred providers. Premium health services. Out-of-pocket expenses. Co-payment. Shared insurance. Insurance consultants. Insurance brokers. Medical advisors. ACA. HMO. PPO. EPO. POS. High Deductible Health Plan. Health Savings Account. FSA. Health Reimbursement Arrangement. EOB. COBRA. Small Business Health Options Program. Single coverage. Family coverage. Insurance subsidies.

Baffled? It's understandable. Who understands this complex system? Certainly not the average business owner. Neither the average employee. Selecting the appropriate healthcare insurance for our business – or for households – appears to require demands a PhD in medical insurance.

The Medical System Is More Than Complicated, It Is Expensive

Based on a recent study, typical households spends $27,000 each year on medical coverage (up 6% from last year). The average employer health insurance cost is expected to surpass $seventeen thousand for each worker by 2026, an increase of 9.5% from 2025.

Currently the government is shut down because political disagreements regarding subsidies which analysts predict could cause premium increases up to 100% for millions of Americans.

When Might We Seriously Consider Universal Healthcare?

How soon might we seriously consider a national health insurance program in the United States? I have to believe we're getting closer because this situation is unsustainable.

I'm not proposing government-run medicine. I'm proposing for our current Medicare system – an insurance system – simply expand to include all citizens. Our infrastructure remains intact. The way our healthcare providers get paid would change. Trust me, they will adjust.

The Way National Health Insurance Could Function

A national health insurance program would require payments from workers and companies. In similar programs, an employee making moderate income must contribute approximately five point three percent toward medical coverage. The company must contribute approximately thirteen point seventy-five percent.

Does this seem expensive? Unless you compare that with what the typical American pays. I know dozens of businesses that are easily contributing anywhere from eight to fifteen percent of their employee wages for medical benefits. Remember that in comprehensive systems, those payments also cover pension plans, illness coverage, maternity leave and job loss protection in addition to funding medical services. When including these expenses compared with our current spending on retirement programs, job loss coverage and paid time off, the gap narrows.

Execution for America

In the US, a national health premium would increase existing Medicare taxes, a system already established. It ought to be income-adjusted – wealthier individuals would contribute higher amounts than lower-income earners. This includes both an employee and employer contribution. Similar to much of federal defense, IT, welfare services and infrastructure, the system should be outsourced by private contractors instead of federal agencies.

Benefits for Small Businesses

A national health insurance program represents a significant advantage for small businesses like mine. It would put small companies in equal competition against big corporations who can afford superior coverage. It would make administration significantly simpler (a payroll deduction remitted like social security and healthcare taxes, rather than separate payments to benefit firms and insurance providers).

It would make it easier for us to budget annual expenditures, rather than going through the complicated (and fruitless) theater of negotiating with the big insurance providers required annually every year. Because it's simplified, there would be improved comprehension of coverage among workers – as opposed to the current system where they have to decipher the complexities of existing plans. And there would definitely exist less liability for companies since we wouldn't have access to workers' health histories for weighing risks and different options.

Capitalist Perspective

I'm as pro-market as they get. However I recognize that public institutions play important functions in our lives, including national security to supporting essential systems. Providing healthcare to all through a national insurance system strengthens our economy's infrastructure. It's a better, easier system for small businesses that employ more than half of the country's workers and generate half of our GDP. It makes it possible employees to enjoy better health, come to work more often and increase productivity.

Addressing Concerns

Exist numerous factors I haven't covered? Certainly. Given rising medical expenses we've seen recently, it's clear that the Affordable Care Act is not working very well. I understand that America isn't a small, Scandinavian country where big changes are easier to implement. However extending Medicare for all, even with increased taxation that would be incurred, would remain a better and more affordable approach both for managing medical expenses but providing access for all citizens.

Time for Honest Assessment

As Americans, we need to tone down our own arrogance. America's medical care isn't so great. The US places well below many other countries in healthcare quality globally, according to major studies. Maybe one bright spot in this present circumstances is that we take a hard look at ourselves and agree that major reforms need to happen.