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Out-of-pocket costs. Preferred providers. Out-of-network. Premium health services. Personal healthcare costs. Co-payment. Co-insurance. Benefit advisers. Insurance brokers. Healthcare consultants. Affordable Care Act. Health Maintenance Organization. Preferred Provider Organization. EPO. POS. HDHP. Health Savings Account. Flexible Spending Account. HRA. Explanation of Benefits. COBRA. Small Business Health Options Program. Individual coverage. Family coverage. Insurance subsidies.

Baffled? You should be. Who comprehends this complex system? Certainly not the average entrepreneur. Nor the typical employee. Selecting the appropriate healthcare insurance for our business – or for our families – appears to require it requires a PhD in medical insurance.

Our Healthcare System Is More Than Complex, It's Costly

According to recent research, the average family pays $27,000 each year for their health insurance (up 6% compared to last year). Typical company healthcare expense is expected to surpass $seventeen thousand per employee in 2026, an increase of 9.5% compared to 2025.

Currently the government has ceased functioning due to partisan disputes over subsidies which analysts predict could cause a doubling of premiums for millions of Americans.

When Will We Seriously Consider National Health Insurance?

How soon might 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 national healthcare. I'm proposing for our current Medicare system – an insurance system – simply expand to include all citizens. Our infrastructure doesn't change. How medical professionals get paid changes. Trust me, they'll adapt.

The Way Universal Coverage Would Work

Universal healthcare coverage would need contributions from workers and companies. In comparable systems, an employee earning average wages must contribute about five point three percent toward medical coverage. Their employer pays approximately thirteen point seventy-five percent.

Does this appear expensive? Not if you compare it to what the typical US resident spends. I know dozens of clients that are routinely paying between 8% to 15% of payroll costs to their healthcare costs. And keep in mind that in comprehensive systems, those payments also cover pension plans, illness coverage, maternity leave and job loss protection in addition to supporting medical services. When you add these expenses versus what we pay for our retirement plans, unemployment insurance and paid time off, the gap narrows.

Execution for America

For America, universal healthcare funding would increase our Medicare tax deduction, a framework already established. It should be income-adjusted – those at higher income levels would contribute higher amounts than those earning less. This includes both worker and employer contribution. Similar to much of federal defense, technology, welfare services and infrastructure, the system could be managed to third-party administrators instead of a government office.

Benefits for Entrepreneurs

Universal healthcare coverage represents a huge benefit for entrepreneurs such as my company. It would place small companies in equal competition against big corporations that can pay for superior coverage. It would render management significantly simpler (a payroll deduction processed similarly to retirement and Medicare taxes, instead of individual transactions to insurance companies and coverage administrators).

It would make simpler for us to budget our yearly costs, instead of going through the complex (and ineffective) theater of negotiating with the big insurance providers required annually each year. Due to simplification, there would exist a better understanding about benefits among workers – as opposed to the current system which require them to decipher the complexities of existing plans. And there would definitely exist less liability for employers since we wouldn't would be privy to workers' health histories for risk assessment and alternative plans.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as pro-market as possible. However I recognize that government play important functions in society, from providing defense to supporting needed infrastructure. Ensuring medical coverage to all through a national insurance system strengthens our economy's infrastructure. It's a better, simpler approach for entrepreneurs that employ the majority of the country's workers and generate half of our GDP. It makes it possible for workers to be healthier, have better attendance and increase productivity.

Addressing Concerns

Exist a million considerations I'm not addressing? Certainly. Given rising medical expenses we've seen recently, it's evident that current healthcare legislation isn't functioning very well. I understand that we're not a compact European nation where major reforms can be readily adopted. However extending Medicare for all, even with increased taxation that would be incurred, would remain a superior and more affordable approach both for managing medical expenses and ensuring coverage for all citizens.

Need for Honest Assessment

As Americans, we need to tone down our own arrogance. America's medical care isn't exceptional. We rank well below many other countries in healthcare quality in the world, according to comprehensive research. Perhaps a bright spot amid present circumstances could be that we undertake a hard look in the mirror and acknowledge that major reforms need to happen.