As a Dedicated Capitalist, Yet Medicare for All Is the Best Hope for US Healthcare

Deductibles. Preferred providers. Non-preferred providers. Premium health services. Personal healthcare costs. Co-payment. Shared insurance. Benefit advisers. Insurance brokers. Medical advisors. ACA. HMO. Preferred Provider Organization. EPO. Point of Service. High Deductible Health Plan. HSA. FSA. HRA. EOB. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. SHOP. Individual coverage. Dependent coverage. Insurance subsidies.

Confused? It's understandable. Who understands this complex system? Certainly not the average business owner. Neither the average employee. Choosing the right medical coverage for our business – or for households – appears to require demands advanced expertise in healthcare.

Our Healthcare System Is More Than Complex, It's Expensive

According to a recent study, typical households spends $twenty-seven thousand each year for their health insurance (up 6% from last year). The average employer health insurance cost is projected to exceed $17,000 per employee by 2026, an increase of 9.5% compared to 2025.

Currently the government has ceased functioning because political disagreements regarding tax credits which analysts predict could cause a doubling of premiums for numerous US citizens.

When Will We Truly Examine National Health Insurance?

How soon might we seriously consider a national health insurance program in the United States? I'm convinced we're approaching that point because this situation is unsustainable.

I'm not proposing government-run medicine. I'm proposing that our already existing Medicare program – an insurance system – merely extend to cover everyone. Our infrastructure doesn't change. How our healthcare providers get paid changes. Trust me, they'll adapt.

How National Health Insurance Could Function

A national health insurance program would require contributions from both employees and employers. In comparable systems, an employee earning average wages must contribute about 5.3% toward medical coverage. Their employer pays about 13.75%.

Does this appear expensive? Unless you compare it to what the typical American pays. I know multiple businesses that are routinely paying between eight to fifteen percent of their employee wages for medical benefits. Remember that with inclusive programs, those payments also cover retirement benefits, sick pay, parental benefits and unemployment benefits in addition to funding healthcare facilities. When including those costs compared with what we pay on retirement programs, unemployment insurance and vacation benefits, the gap narrows.

Implementation for America

For America, a national health premium would raise our Medicare tax deduction, a framework already established. It ought to be income-adjusted – wealthier individuals would contribute higher amounts than lower-income earners. This includes both an employee and employer contribution. Similar to many our government's military, IT, social programs and infrastructure, the program could be managed by private contractors instead of a government office.

Benefits for Entrepreneurs

Universal healthcare coverage represents a huge benefit for small businesses like mine. It would place us on a level playing field with our larger competitors that can pay for better plans. It would make administration much easier (automatic payroll withholding processed similarly to retirement and Medicare taxes, instead of individual transactions to benefit firms and insurance providers).

It would make simpler for us to budget our yearly costs, instead of 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 by our employees – as opposed to existing arrangements which require them to decipher the complexities of existing plans. And there would definitely exist less liability for employers since we wouldn't have access to workers' medical records for risk assessment and alternative plans.

Capitalist Perspective

I'm as pro-market as possible. But I've learned that government play important functions in society, including national security to supporting needed infrastructure. Providing healthcare to all through a national insurance system enhances economic foundations. It's a better, simpler approach for entrepreneurs that employ the majority of the country's workers and fund half of our GDP. It enables employees to enjoy better health, come to work more often and increase productivity.

Addressing Concerns

Exist a million considerations I'm not addressing? Certainly. Given rising medical expenses experienced in recent years, it's evident that the Affordable Care Act is not working very well. I understand that America isn't a compact European nation where major reforms can be readily adopted. However extending universal Medicare, even with increased taxation that would be incurred, would still be a superior and less expensive approach for not only managing medical expenses and ensuring coverage to everyone.

Time for Honest Assessment

As Americans, must tone down national pride. America's medical care isn't exceptional. We rank significantly behind numerous nations in healthcare quality globally, based on major studies. Perhaps a bright spot amid current situation is that we take serious examination at ourselves and agree that major reforms need to happen.