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Out-of-pocket costs. In-network. Out-of-network. Concierge medical services. Personal healthcare costs. Co-payment. Co-insurance. Insurance consultants. Coverage agents. Medical advisors. Affordable Care Act. HMO. PPO. Exclusive Provider Organization. Point of Service. High Deductible Health Plan. Health Savings Account. FSA. Health Reimbursement Arrangement. Explanation of Benefits. COBRA. Small Business Health Options Program. Single coverage. Dependent coverage. Premium tax credits.

Baffled? You should be. Who comprehends this complex system? Certainly not the average entrepreneur. Nor the typical worker. Selecting the appropriate medical coverage for companies – or for our families – appears to require it requires advanced expertise in medical insurance.

The Healthcare System Is More Than Complicated, It's Costly

According to a recent study, typical households pays $twenty-seven thousand each year on medical coverage (up 6% from last year). Typical employer health insurance cost is expected to exceed $17,000 per employee in 2026, an increase of 9.5% from 2025.

Currently the government has ceased functioning because partisan disputes over subsidies which analysts predict could cause premium increases up to 100% for millions of Americans.

When Might We Seriously Consider Universal Healthcare?

When will we genuinely evaluate a national health insurance program here in America? I have to believe we're getting closer since this can't continue.

I'm not proposing national healthcare. I'm proposing for our current Medicare system – an insurance system – merely extend to include all citizens. The existing system remains intact. The way medical professionals receive payment changes. Trust me, they will adjust.

How National Health Insurance Could Function

A national health insurance program would need payments from workers and companies. In similar programs, a worker earning moderate income must contribute approximately five point three percent toward medical coverage. Their employer must contribute about 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 who are easily contributing between eight to fifteen percent of their employee wages for medical benefits. And keep in mind that in comprehensive systems, those payments include retirement benefits, illness coverage, maternity leave and job loss protection in addition to funding healthcare facilities. When including these expenses compared with what we pay for our retirement plans, job loss coverage and vacation benefits, the gap narrows.

Execution in the US

For America, a national health premium would raise existing Medicare taxes, a system already established. It ought to be means-based – wealthier individuals would pay more than those earning less. There would be both worker and employer contribution. And, like many our government's defense, IT, welfare services and infrastructure, the program could be managed by private contractors rather than federal agencies.

Advantages for Entrepreneurs

A national health insurance program represents a huge benefit for entrepreneurs like mine. It would place us on a level playing field with our larger competitors who can afford superior coverage. It would make management much easier (automatic payroll withholding processed similarly to social security and Medicare taxes, instead of individual transactions to insurance companies and coverage administrators).

It would make it easier for us to budget annual expenditures, instead of enduring the complicated (and fruitless) process of negotiating with major insurers that we must do each year. Because it's simplified, there would exist a better understanding of coverage among workers – contrasted with existing arrangements which require them to interpret the complexities of existing plans. And there would certainly be less liability for employers as we no longer have access to workers' medical records for weighing risks and alternative plans.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as capitalist as they get. However I recognize that government play important functions in our lives, from providing defense to supporting needed infrastructure. Providing healthcare for everyone through a national insurance system enhances economic foundations. It's a better, easier system for entrepreneurs that employ more than half of American employees and fund half the economic output. It makes it possible for workers to be healthier, come to work more often and be more productive.

Addressing Concerns

Are there a million considerations I haven't covered? Certainly. Given all the healthcare cost increases experienced recently, it's evident that current healthcare legislation isn't functioning very well. And I realize that America isn't a small, Scandinavian country where major reforms are easier to implement. However extending Medicare for all, even with the additional taxes required, would still be a better and more affordable strategy for not only controlling healthcare costs and ensuring coverage to everyone.

Need for Realistic Evaluation

As Americans, we need to tone down national pride. America's medical care isn't so great. The US places well below many other countries in healthcare quality globally, according to comprehensive research. Perhaps a positive aspect amid present circumstances could be that we take a hard look at ourselves and agree that big changes are necessary.