🔗 Share this article I'm a Hardcore Capitalist, But Medicare for All Represents the Top Hope for American Health System Out-of-pocket costs. In-network. Out-of-network. Premium health services. Out-of-pocket expenses. Co-payment. Co-insurance. Benefit advisers. Coverage agents. Medical advisors. Affordable Care Act. Health Maintenance Organization. Preferred Provider Organization. Exclusive Provider Organization. Point of Service. HDHP. Health Savings Account. Flexible Spending Account. Health Reimbursement Arrangement. EOB. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. SHOP. Single coverage. Dependent coverage. Premium tax credits. Baffled? It's understandable. Who comprehends all this stuff? Certainly not the average business owner. Nor the typical worker. Choosing the appropriate medical coverage for companies – or for households – seems like demands a PhD in healthcare. Our Healthcare System Isn't Just Complicated, It Is Costly According to recent research, the average family pays $twenty-seven thousand annually on medical coverage (up 6% from last year). Typical company healthcare expense is expected to surpass $seventeen thousand for each worker in 2026, an increase of 9.5% compared to 2025. Currently the government is shut down due to partisan disputes over subsidies which analysts predict will lead to a doubling of premiums for numerous US citizens. When Might We Truly Examine Universal Healthcare? When will we genuinely evaluate a national health insurance program here in America? I have to believe we're approaching that point since this can't continue. I'm not proposing national healthcare. I'm proposing for our current Medicare program – an insurance system – merely extend to include all citizens. Our infrastructure remains intact. The way our healthcare providers receive payment would change. Believe me, they will adjust. The Way National Health Insurance Could Function A national health insurance program would require contributions from employees and employers. In similar programs, an employee making moderate income pays about 5.3% toward medical coverage. The company pays about 13.75%. Does this appear like a lot? Unless you compare that with what the typical US resident spends. I know multiple businesses that are routinely paying anywhere from 8% to 15% of their employee wages for medical benefits. Remember that in inclusive programs, these contributions include pension plans, sick pay, parental benefits and unemployment benefits along with funding medical services. When you add those costs versus what we pay on retirement programs, job loss coverage and vacation benefits, the gap narrows. Implementation in the US For America, universal healthcare funding would raise our Medicare tax deduction, a system already established. It ought to be income-adjusted – wealthier individuals would contribute higher amounts than those earning less. There would be both an employee and company payments. Similar to many our government's defense, IT, welfare services and transportation services, the program could be managed to third-party administrators rather than federal agencies. Advantages for Small Businesses Universal healthcare coverage represents a significant advantage for small businesses such as my company. It would place us on a level playing field against big corporations who can afford superior coverage. It would render management significantly simpler (automatic payroll withholding processed similarly to social security and healthcare taxes, rather than separate payments to insurance companies and coverage administrators). It would enable simpler for us to budget annual expenditures, rather than going through the complex (and ineffective) process of negotiating with the big insurance providers that we must do every year. Due to simplification, there would exist a better understanding of coverage among workers – as opposed to existing arrangements where they have to interpret the complications of current options. And there would definitely exist reduced responsibility for employers since we wouldn't have access to our employees' health histories for weighing risks and alternative plans. Capitalist Perspective I'm as pro-market as they get. However I recognize that public institutions has a significant role in our lives, from providing defense to funding essential systems. Providing healthcare to all via universal healthcare enhances economic foundations. It's a better, simpler approach for small businesses that employ the majority of the country's workers and fund half of our GDP. It makes it possible employees to be healthier, come to work more often and increase productivity. Considering Challenges Are there a million considerations I'm not addressing? Certainly. Given rising medical expenses we've seen in recent years, it's clear that current healthcare legislation is not working effectively. I understand that we're not a small, Scandinavian country where major reforms can be readily adopted. However extending Medicare for all, even with increased taxation that would be incurred, would still be a superior and less expensive approach both for controlling healthcare costs but providing access for all citizens. Time for Honest Assessment As Americans, we need to tone down our own arrogance. America's medical care isn't exceptional. The US places significantly behind numerous nations with the best healthcare in the world, based on comprehensive research. Maybe one bright spot in this current situation is that we undertake a hard look at ourselves and agree that big changes are necessary.