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

Confused? It's understandable. Who comprehends all this stuff? Not the typical business owner. Neither the average worker. Selecting the appropriate medical coverage for our business – or for households – appears to require it requires a PhD in healthcare.

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

According to recent research, the average family pays $twenty-seven thousand annually for their health insurance (up 6% from last year). The average company healthcare expense is expected to surpass $seventeen thousand per employee in 2026, a 9.5% jump compared to 2025.

Currently the government has ceased functioning because political disagreements over subsidies that experts say will lead to premium increases up to 100% for numerous US citizens.

When Might We Truly Examine National Health Insurance?

How soon might we genuinely evaluate a national health insurance program here in America? I have to believe we're getting closer since this situation is unsustainable.

I'm not suggesting national healthcare. I'm advocating for our current Medicare system – an insurance system – simply expand to cover everyone. The existing system remains intact. How our healthcare providers get paid would change. Believe me, they'll adapt.

How National Health Insurance Could Function

A national health insurance program would need contributions from both employees and employers. In comparable systems, a worker making moderate income must contribute about five point three percent toward medical coverage. The company pays approximately thirteen point seventy-five percent.

Does this appear like a lot? Not if you compare it to what the typical US resident spends. I know dozens of clients that are routinely paying anywhere from eight to fifteen percent of their employee wages for medical benefits. And keep in mind that in inclusive programs, those payments also cover pension plans, illness coverage, maternity leave and job loss protection in addition to supporting healthcare facilities. When you add those costs versus our current spending on retirement programs, job loss coverage and paid time off, the gap narrows.

Execution in the US

In the US, universal healthcare funding would raise our Medicare tax deduction, a framework already established. It should be means-based – those at higher income levels would contribute higher amounts than lower-income earners. There would be both an employee and company payments. Similar to much of our government's military, IT, social programs and infrastructure, the program could be managed to third-party administrators instead of federal agencies.

Benefits for Small Businesses

A national health insurance program represents a significant advantage for small businesses like mine. It would place small companies in equal competition against big corporations that can pay for superior coverage. It would render management much easier (automatic payroll withholding remitted like social security and healthcare taxes, rather than individual transactions to insurance companies and coverage administrators).

It would make it easier for us to budget our yearly costs, instead of going through the complex (and ineffective) 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 existing arrangements where they have to decipher the complexities of existing plans. Additionally there would definitely exist less liability for companies as we no longer have access to workers' medical records for risk assessment and different options.

Capitalist Perspective

I'm as pro-market as possible. However I recognize that government play important functions in our lives, including national security to supporting needed infrastructure. Ensuring medical coverage for everyone through a national insurance system enhances our economy's infrastructure. It represents superior, easier system for entrepreneurs which hire more than half of American employees and generate half of our GDP. It enables for workers to be healthier, have better attendance and increase productivity.

Considering Challenges

Are there numerous factors I haven't covered? Of course there are. Given all the healthcare cost increases we've seen in recent years, it's clear that the Affordable Care Act is not working effectively. And I realize that America isn't a small, Scandinavian country where big changes can be readily adopted. However extending universal Medicare, despite the additional taxes that would be incurred, would still be a better and less expensive approach for not only controlling healthcare costs but providing access for all citizens.

Need for Honest Assessment

We as Americans, must tone down our own arrogance. America's medical care isn't exceptional. We rank significantly behind many other countries with the best healthcare in the world, according to major studies. Maybe one positive aspect amid current situation is that we take serious examination in the mirror and agree that big changes are necessary.