PPS: Seriously. years ago when I dropped insurance coverage because I was paying thousands a year and consuming zero services, I looked into HSA, where you could pay in, and roll over funds you don't consume into the next year. And I looked for "actual" catastrophic insurance to cover the rare unexpected but expensive events. I couldn't find anything close to what I wanted. As I get older I am now in a peer group with aging baby boomers most on sundry chronic medications for cholesterol and pre-diabetic blood sugar conditions. Arghh
I am in the camp of paying thousands a year for insurance while having very low health costs. But someday I might and that's the point of insurance right? To spread out the high cost of a few to a large group.
Health Insurance in the US has become health maintenance, which is very puzzling and disrupts the workings of the system. Having people pay for health maintenance out of pocket (routine office visits, birth control, etc), and have insurance kick in for major medical problems (cancer, etc.), would make a lot more sense, and help control costs because people would shop around instead of not caring about the cost since insurance picks up the tab.
I looked into a HSA last year and it did not let you roll over funds year to year. Maybe yours was different. In WI, basically you put money in and if you don't spend it, your employer keeps it. WTF? I wonder who lobbied that into the law - doesn't make any sense to me. HSA really seemed like some of the worst written legislation ever. Why not just say medical expenses can be itemized and deducted?
And if you look into the thought process that led to the ACA, you'll see that the mandate came about because of people making the calculation to drop their insurance when healthy. Once insurance companies can't deny coverage due to pre-existing conditions, then most people would realize they can drop health insurance until they get sick, and then sign up. I would have done it differently - I think the attempt at a market solution is going to be very problematic.
Sorry to go off topic.
At the very least the catastrophic plan plus even some mild kickback rewards for non consumption would have been an inviting deal.
The bronze plans have pretty high deductible and co-insurance, but the premiums are still high, IMO.
I happen to fall well below the poverty line so am exempt from any penalties.
If you live in a state that did not turn down the medicaid fund (WI did), you would be covered by that. Right now there is a gap in coverage for people below the poverty line, since the ACA planned to cover those people with the Medicaid expansion. But that was the part of the law SCOTUS threw out. And there is no way anything could be passed to fill that gap now with the House controlled by the Repubs.
