Health Insurance Costs Are Rising Again. Here’s What Can Be Done Now.

Voters in the United States say affordability is their biggest concern, and the climbing cost of health care is a major reason everyday life feels so expensive. That problem is getting even worse.

Open enrollment has started, and people shopping for coverage in the individual market are seeing premiums rise by about 13 percent on average, following a 26 percent increase last year. Employer-sponsored plans are also expected to climb by 10 percent, pushing costs to more than $10,000 per person each year.

High out-of-pocket expenses are already preventing many Americans from getting the care they need. At the same time, the growth in health care spending is putting a heavy strain on the national budget and adding to debt pressures that contribute to inflation and weaken the federal government’s fiscal position.

When Washington politicians discuss health care, they often reach for broad, all-at-once solutions. Medicare for All is one example, and it is a major issue in the Michigan Senate race. But no matter how the midterms turn out, neither party is likely to have the votes needed to enact such sweeping changes. In fact, major health care overhaul probably will not be considered until after the next general election in 2028 at the earliest, and even then implementation could take years. For now, the focus needs to be on ways to slow the costs that are hurting people now.

This fixation on sweeping reform can also create the misleading impression that the United States has one unified health system with a single problem and a single fix. It does not. The reality is far more complicated, and the search for a simple cure often misses that complexity.