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Out-of-pocket costs. Preferred providers. Out-of-network. Premium health services. Out-of-pocket expenses. Fixed payment. Co-insurance. Benefit advisers. Coverage agents. Healthcare consultants. Affordable Care Act. Health Maintenance Organization. Preferred Provider Organization. EPO. Point of Service. HDHP. HSA. FSA. HRA. EOB. COBRA. Small Business Health Options Program. Individual coverage. Family coverage. Premium tax credits.

Baffled? You should be. Who understands all this stuff? Not the typical business owner. Neither the average worker. Selecting the appropriate healthcare insurance for our business – or for households – appears to require demands a PhD in healthcare.

The Healthcare System Is More Than Complex, It's Expensive

According to recent research, typical households spends $twenty-seven thousand each year on medical coverage (up 6% compared to last year). Typical company healthcare expense is expected to surpass $17,000 per employee in 2026, an increase of 9.5% compared to 2025.

Now the government is shut down because political disagreements over tax credits that experts say could cause premium increases up to 100% for numerous US citizens.

When Will 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 because this can't continue.

I'm not suggesting government-run medicine. I'm proposing that our already existing Medicare system – an established insurance framework – merely extend to cover everyone. The existing system remains intact. How medical professionals get paid changes. Trust me, they'll adapt.

The Way Universal Coverage Could Function

A national health insurance program would require contributions from workers and companies. In comparable systems, an employee making average wages must contribute approximately 5.3% toward medical coverage. The company must contribute approximately thirteen point seventy-five percent.

Does this appear like a lot? Unless you contrast it to what the typical US resident spends. I know multiple businesses who are easily contributing between eight to fifteen percent of payroll costs for medical benefits. And keep in mind that with inclusive programs, those payments also cover retirement benefits, illness coverage, parental benefits and unemployment benefits in addition to funding medical services. When including those costs versus what we pay for our retirement plans, job loss coverage and vacation benefits, the gap narrows.

Implementation for America

For America, a national health premium would increase our Medicare tax deduction, a system already established. It ought to be means-based – wealthier individuals would contribute higher amounts than lower-income earners. This includes both worker and employer contribution. Similar to much of federal defense, technology, social programs and transportation services, the system should be outsourced to third-party administrators instead of federal agencies.

Advantages for Entrepreneurs

Universal healthcare coverage would be a significant advantage for entrepreneurs like mine. It would place small companies in equal competition against big corporations who can afford superior coverage. It would render management much easier (automatic payroll withholding remitted like social security and healthcare taxes, instead of individual transactions to benefit firms and coverage administrators).

It would make it easier for us to budget annual expenditures, instead of enduring the complex (and fruitless) theater of negotiating with major insurers required annually each year. Due to simplification, there would exist improved comprehension about benefits by our employees – as opposed to existing arrangements which require them to decipher the complexities of existing plans. And there would definitely exist reduced responsibility for employers since we wouldn't would be privy to workers' medical records for purposes of risk assessment and different options.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as pro-market as possible. However I recognize that public institutions play important functions in our lives, from providing defense to supporting essential systems. Ensuring medical coverage for everyone via universal healthcare strengthens our economy's infrastructure. It's a better, easier system for entrepreneurs which hire more than half of the country's workers and generate half the economic output. It makes it possible for workers to enjoy better health, have better attendance and be more productive.

Addressing Concerns

Exist a million considerations I'm not addressing? Of course there are. But with all the healthcare cost increases experienced in recent years, it's evident that current healthcare legislation is not working very well. And I realize that America isn't a small, Scandinavian country where big changes are easier to implement. However extending universal Medicare, even with increased taxation that would be incurred, would remain a better and less expensive approach for not only controlling healthcare costs but providing access for all citizens.

Time for Honest Assessment

We as Americans, must tone down our own arrogance. Our healthcare system isn't exceptional. The US places significantly behind many other countries with the best healthcare globally, according to comprehensive research. Perhaps a positive aspect amid current situation is that we take serious examination at ourselves and acknowledge that major reforms need to happen.