US health care policy monthly premiums

scottIN

Let's see...
Pre-ACA, when I had private insurance, $138 mo. / $5000 deductible + an HSA.

First year of ACA, $275 mo. / $5500 deductible + an HSA.

This year, $378 mo. with same deductible + an HSA.

So, with the Affordable Care Act, I'm currently paying 3X what I was privately for essentially the same insurance.

My girlfriend lost her insurance at work because of the increases to private insurance after ACA and had to get it on her own. She and I would get married, but since she gets a subsidy, last year it would have cost us an extra $400 mo. to be married. This year, the part she pays went up so much (no income increase - just a decrease in subsidy), that it would cost us $200 mo. more to be married. I assume that her subsidy will pretty much be eliminated by next year ($30K gross). When that happens, our insurance will be about $300 / mo. more than our mortgage. PLUS our OoP is $7700 so in reality our yearly healthcare costs (if we use it) would be right around $20K.

I need an operation, and if I go to the hospital, it's $21,000 ($7,700 to me). Or, I can go to a clinic that does not take insurance and it's $1900 all in. Guess where I'm going?