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Deductibles. In-network. Non-preferred providers. Premium health services. Out-of-pocket expenses. Fixed payment. Co-insurance. Benefit advisers. Coverage agents. Healthcare consultants. ACA. HMO. Preferred Provider Organization. EPO. Point of Service. High Deductible Health Plan. HSA. Flexible Spending Account. Health Reimbursement Arrangement. EOB. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. Small Business Health Options Program. Single coverage. Dependent coverage. Insurance subsidies.

Baffled? You should be. Who understands this complex system? Certainly not the average entrepreneur. Nor the typical worker. Choosing the right healthcare insurance for our business – or for our families – seems like demands a PhD in medical insurance.

Our Medical System Is More Than Complicated, It's Costly

Based on recent research, the average family spends $27,000 annually for their health insurance (up 6% compared to last year). The average employer health insurance cost is projected to exceed $17,000 per employee by 2026, a 9.5% jump from 2025.

Currently the government is shut down due to partisan disputes regarding subsidies that experts say could cause a doubling of premiums for millions of Americans.

When Will We Seriously Consider Universal Healthcare?

When will we seriously consider universal healthcare coverage in the United States? I have to believe we're getting closer because this can't continue.

I'm not proposing government-run medicine. I'm proposing for our current Medicare system – an established insurance framework – simply expand to include all citizens. Our infrastructure doesn't change. The way our healthcare providers get paid changes. Trust me, they'll adapt.

The Way Universal Coverage Could Function

A national health insurance program would need contributions from employees and employers. In similar programs, an employee making average wages pays approximately five point three percent toward medical coverage. The company must contribute approximately thirteen point seventy-five percent.

Does this seem expensive? Not if you compare that with what average US resident spends. I can name dozens of businesses that are easily contributing anywhere from eight to fifteen percent of payroll costs to their healthcare costs. Remember that with comprehensive systems, these contributions include pension plans, illness coverage, parental benefits and unemployment benefits along with supporting healthcare facilities. When including those costs versus what we pay for our retirement plans, unemployment insurance and vacation benefits, the gap narrows.

Execution in the US

For America, universal healthcare funding would raise our Medicare tax deduction, a system that is already in place. It should be means-based – wealthier individuals would contribute higher amounts than lower-income earners. There would be both worker and company payments. Similar to much of our government's military, IT, welfare services and infrastructure, the system could be managed to third-party administrators instead of federal agencies.

Advantages for Small Businesses

Universal healthcare coverage would be a huge benefit for small businesses like mine. It would put us on a level playing field with our larger competitors who can afford superior coverage. It would render administration significantly simpler (automatic payroll withholding processed similarly to social security and healthcare taxes, rather than separate payments to benefit firms and coverage administrators).

It would make it easier to plan expenses annual expenditures, instead of going through the complex (and ineffective) theater of negotiating with the big insurance providers that we must do every year. Due to simplification, there would be improved comprehension about benefits among workers – contrasted with existing arrangements where they have to interpret the complications of current options. And there would certainly be reduced responsibility for employers as we no longer would be privy to our employees' health histories for purposes of weighing risks and different options.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as pro-market as they get. But I've learned that public institutions has a significant role in our lives, including national security to supporting needed infrastructure. Ensuring medical coverage for everyone via universal healthcare strengthens economic foundations. It represents superior, simpler approach for small businesses which hire more than half of the country's workers and generate half of our GDP. It enables employees to be healthier, come to work more often and increase productivity.

Addressing Concerns

Are there numerous factors I haven't covered? Of course there are. Given rising medical expenses experienced in recent years, it's clear that the Affordable Care Act is not working very well. I understand that we're not a compact European nation where major reforms can be readily adopted. But expanding universal Medicare, despite increased taxation that would be incurred, would still be a better and less expensive strategy for not only controlling healthcare costs but providing access to everyone.

Need for Honest Assessment

We as Americans, we need to tone down our own arrogance. Our healthcare system isn't so great. The US places significantly behind many other countries in healthcare quality in the world, according to major studies. Maybe one positive aspect amid current situation could be that we take serious examination at ourselves and acknowledge that big changes are necessary.