Deductibles. In-network. Non-preferred providers. Premium health services. Personal healthcare costs. Co-payment. Co-insurance. Insurance consultants. Insurance brokers. Medical advisors. ACA. HMO. PPO. EPO. POS. HDHP. HSA. FSA. HRA. EOB. COBRA. Small Business Health Options Program. Single coverage. Family coverage. Premium tax credits.
Baffled? You should be. Who comprehends all this stuff? Certainly not the average entrepreneur. Nor the typical worker. Choosing the right healthcare insurance for our business – or for households – appears to require demands a PhD in healthcare.
According to recent research, typical households spends $twenty-seven thousand each year for their health insurance (up 6% compared to last year). The average employer health insurance cost is projected to exceed $seventeen thousand for each worker in 2026, an increase of 9.5% compared to 2025.
Now the government has ceased functioning due to partisan disputes over subsidies that experts say will lead to premium increases up to 100% for millions of Americans.
When will we genuinely evaluate a national health insurance program here in America? I'm convinced we're approaching that point because this situation is unsustainable.
I'm not suggesting government-run medicine. I'm advocating that our already existing Medicare system – an insurance system – simply expand to cover everyone. Our infrastructure doesn't change. The way medical professionals receive payment would change. Believe me, they'll adapt.
A national health insurance program would require contributions from both workers and companies. In similar programs, a worker making moderate income pays about 5.3% toward medical coverage. The company pays about thirteen point seventy-five percent.
Does this seem like a lot? Not if you compare it to what the typical American pays. I can name dozens of businesses who are routinely paying anywhere from 8% to 15% of their employee wages for medical benefits. And keep in mind that with inclusive programs, those payments also cover retirement benefits, sick pay, maternity leave and job loss protection in addition to funding healthcare facilities. When you add those costs compared with our current spending on retirement programs, unemployment insurance and paid time off, the gap narrows.
For America, universal healthcare funding would increase existing Medicare taxes, a framework already established. It ought to be income-adjusted – wealthier individuals would contribute higher amounts than lower-income earners. This includes both worker and company payments. And, like much of federal military, IT, welfare services and infrastructure, the program should be outsourced by private contractors instead of a government office.
A national health insurance program would be a significant advantage for small businesses like mine. It would place small companies in equal competition 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, instead of separate payments to benefit firms and coverage administrators).
It would make simpler for us to budget annual expenditures, instead of going through the complicated (and ineffective) theater of bargaining with the big insurance providers that we must do each year. Because it's simplified, there would exist improved comprehension of coverage by our employees – contrasted with existing arrangements where they have to interpret the complications of current options. And there would certainly be reduced responsibility for companies since we wouldn't have access to workers' medical records for purposes of weighing risks and alternative plans.
I'm as capitalist as they get. However I recognize that government play important functions in our lives, from providing defense to funding needed infrastructure. Ensuring medical coverage for everyone through a national insurance system strengthens our economy's infrastructure. It's a better, easier system for small businesses which hire the majority of American employees and generate half of our GDP. It makes it possible for workers to be healthier, have better attendance and increase productivity.
Are there numerous factors I haven't covered? Of course there are. Given all the healthcare cost increases experienced in recent years, it's clear that current healthcare legislation isn't functioning very well. I understand that America isn't a compact European nation where major reforms can be readily adopted. But expanding universal Medicare, despite increased taxation required, would still be a better and more affordable strategy for not only controlling healthcare costs but providing access to everyone.
We as Americans, must tone down national pride. Our healthcare system isn't exceptional. The US places well below many other countries in healthcare quality globally, according to comprehensive research. Maybe one positive aspect in this present circumstances could be that we undertake serious examination at ourselves and agree that major reforms need to happen.
A passionate gamer and strategy enthusiast with years of experience in competitive gaming and content creation.
