As a Hardcore Free-Market Advocate, Yet Medicare for All Represents the Top Solution for American Health System

Out-of-pocket costs. Preferred providers. Non-preferred providers. Premium health services. Out-of-pocket expenses. Fixed payment. Co-insurance. Insurance consultants. Insurance brokers. Healthcare consultants. Affordable Care Act. HMO. Preferred Provider Organization. EPO. POS. HDHP. HSA. FSA. HRA. Explanation of Benefits. COBRA. SHOP. Single coverage. Dependent coverage. Premium tax credits.

Baffled? You should be. Who comprehends this complex system? Certainly not the average business owner. Nor the typical worker. Choosing the right healthcare insurance for companies – or for households – appears to require demands a PhD in healthcare.

The Healthcare System Isn't Just Complex, It's Expensive

According to recent research, typical households pays $twenty-seven thousand each year on medical coverage (up 6% compared to last year). Typical 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 because partisan disputes over subsidies that experts say could cause a doubling of premiums for numerous US citizens.

When Will We Truly Examine Universal Healthcare?

How soon might we genuinely evaluate universal healthcare coverage here in America? I have to believe we're getting closer since this situation is unsustainable.

I'm not proposing government-run medicine. I'm advocating for our current Medicare system – an insurance system – merely extend to cover everyone. The existing system doesn't change. The way our healthcare providers receive payment changes. Believe me, they will adjust.

How Universal Coverage Could Function

A national health insurance program would require contributions from both employees and employers. In similar programs, a worker earning moderate income pays about 5.3% toward medical coverage. Their employer must contribute about 13.75%.

Does this appear expensive? Unless you contrast that with what the typical American pays. I know dozens of clients that are routinely paying anywhere from 8% to 15% of their employee wages to their healthcare costs. And keep in mind that in inclusive programs, these contributions include pension plans, illness coverage, parental benefits and unemployment benefits along with funding healthcare facilities. When you add these expenses versus what we pay on retirement programs, unemployment insurance and paid time off, the gap narrows.

Execution for America

For America, a national health premium would raise existing Medicare taxes, a framework that is already in place. It should be means-based – those at higher income levels would pay more than lower-income earners. There would be both an employee and company payments. Similar to many federal defense, technology, social programs and transportation services, the program could be managed to third-party administrators rather than federal agencies.

Advantages for Small Businesses

A national health insurance program would be a huge benefit for entrepreneurs like mine. It would put us on a level playing field with our larger competitors who can afford better plans. It would make administration much easier (automatic payroll withholding remitted like retirement and healthcare taxes, rather than separate payments to benefit firms and coverage administrators).

It would enable simpler to plan expenses our yearly costs, rather than going through the complex (and fruitless) process of negotiating with the big insurance providers required annually every year. Because it's simplified, there would be a better understanding of coverage by our employees – contrasted with the current system which require them to decipher the complications of current options. Additionally there would definitely exist reduced responsibility for companies as we no longer have access to our employees' medical records for weighing risks and different options.

Free-Market Viewpoint

I'm as capitalist as they get. However I recognize that government play important functions in society, including national security to funding needed infrastructure. Providing healthcare for everyone through a national insurance system enhances economic foundations. It's a better, easier system for small businesses that employ the majority of the country's workers and generate half the economic output. It enables employees to be healthier, have better attendance and be more productive.

Addressing Concerns

Are there a million considerations I'm not addressing? Of course there are. Given all the healthcare cost increases experienced in recent years, it's evident that current healthcare legislation isn't functioning effectively. I understand that America isn't a small, Scandinavian country where major reforms are easier to implement. But expanding Medicare for all, despite the additional taxes that would be incurred, would remain a better and less expensive approach for not only managing medical expenses but providing access to everyone.

Need for Honest Assessment

We as Americans, we need to reduce national pride. Our healthcare system isn't exceptional. The US places significantly behind many other countries with the best healthcare in the world, based on major studies. Perhaps a positive aspect amid current situation is that we undertake serious examination in the mirror and acknowledge that major reforms need to happen.