🔗 Share this article As a Committed Free-Market Advocate, Yet Medicare for All Is the Top Solution for US Healthcare Deductibles. Preferred providers. Non-preferred providers. Premium health services. Out-of-pocket expenses. Co-payment. Co-insurance. Benefit advisers. Insurance brokers. Healthcare consultants. Affordable Care Act. Health Maintenance Organization. Preferred Provider Organization. EPO. Point of Service. HDHP. HSA. FSA. Health Reimbursement Arrangement. EOB. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. SHOP. Single coverage. Family coverage. Insurance subsidies. Confused? It's understandable. Who comprehends all this stuff? Not the typical entrepreneur. Neither the average employee. Selecting the right medical coverage for our business – or for our families – appears to require it requires a PhD in medical insurance. The Healthcare System Isn't Just Complicated, It's Costly Based on recent research, the average family pays $twenty-seven thousand annually on medical coverage (increasing by 6% from last year). Typical company healthcare expense is expected to surpass $seventeen thousand per employee by 2026, an increase of 9.5% from 2025. Currently federal operations is shut down because partisan disputes over tax credits that experts say will lead to premium increases up to 100% for numerous US citizens. When Might We Truly Examine 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 since this can't continue. I'm not proposing national healthcare. I'm advocating for our current Medicare program – an insurance system – merely extend to include all citizens. The existing system remains intact. The way our healthcare providers receive payment changes. Trust me, they'll adapt. The Way Universal Coverage Would Work A national health insurance program would need contributions from both employees and employers. In comparable systems, an employee making moderate income pays about five point three percent toward medical coverage. The company must contribute approximately 13.75%. Does this appear like a lot? Unless you contrast it to what average American pays. I can name multiple businesses that are easily contributing between 8% to 15% of their employee wages to their healthcare costs. And keep in mind that in inclusive programs, these contributions include pension plans, sick pay, maternity leave and unemployment benefits in addition to supporting medical services. When including those costs versus what we pay on retirement programs, job loss coverage and paid time off, the gap narrows. Implementation for America In the US, universal healthcare funding would raise our Medicare tax deduction, a system that is already in place. It should be income-adjusted – those at higher income levels would contribute higher amounts than those earning less. There would be both an employee and company payments. And, like much of federal military, IT, social programs and infrastructure, the system should be outsourced by private contractors rather than a government office. Benefits for Small Businesses A national health insurance program represents a significant advantage for entrepreneurs such as my company. It would put small companies in equal competition with our larger competitors who can afford better plans. It would render management much easier (a payroll deduction processed similarly to retirement and healthcare taxes, rather than individual transactions to insurance companies and coverage administrators). It would make simpler for us to budget our yearly costs, rather than going through the complex (and fruitless) theater of bargaining with major insurers that we must do each year. Due to simplification, there would be improved comprehension of coverage among workers – as opposed to 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 would be privy to workers' medical records for weighing risks and alternative plans. Capitalist Perspective I'm as pro-market as possible. However I recognize that government play important functions in society, from providing defense to funding essential systems. Providing healthcare to all via universal healthcare enhances our economy's infrastructure. It represents superior, easier system for small businesses which hire more than half of American employees and generate half of our GDP. It enables employees to be healthier, have better attendance and increase productivity. Considering Challenges Are there numerous factors I haven't covered? Certainly. But with all the healthcare cost increases experienced recently, it's clear that the Affordable Care Act is not working effectively. I understand that America isn't 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 still be a better and less expensive approach for not only controlling healthcare costs and ensuring coverage to everyone. Time for Realistic Evaluation As Americans, we need to reduce national pride. America's medical care isn't exceptional. The US places well below many other countries with the best healthcare in the world, according to comprehensive research. Perhaps a bright spot amid current situation is that we take a hard look in the mirror and acknowledge that big changes need to happen.