4 ms·

I was paying around $1200/month last year (a little under that with subsidy). This year I'm paying $2100/month for a family of five, on a roughly equivalent pl

I was paying around $1200/month last year (a little under that with subsidy). This year I'm paying $2100/month for a family of five, on a roughly equivalent plan. Except, none of the options in my state allow me to visit the PCP I switched to this year (since none of the plans last year covered my PCP from the year before). So I guess I'm on a primary care physician merry go round :D I am at least able to have my main specialty doctor and the drug I take to keep me in remission from Crohn's disease, and my kids' pediatrician is covered. But I can't imagine what people have to sacrifice to keep any kind of coverage (with high deductible and horrible coinsurance and prescription drug coverage) for their families if they don't have a decent income :(

nradov 11mo ago
You're still allowed to visit the same PCP although it might not be covered, or covered out-of-network with a higher patient responsibility.
Avicebron 11mo ago
Excuse me, but how in the world were you able to afford 1200/month, you know that's like cheap rent right?
- darth_avocado 11mo ago
  My Employer sponsored supposedly nice insurance (I say supposedly because they keep being a pain in the ass for pretty much everything) is $200+ per paycheck for me and my spouse, i.e. ~$450/month. That is after my employer covers most of the cost. This stuff is ridiculous.
- zdragnar 11mo ago
  If you're getting health insurance through your employer, that's a pretty standard price (counting both your contribution and your employer's together). I'm probably going to be self employed for 2026 and a cheap-ish (not the cheapest, but probably below the average) plan for my family is going to be a little under $1500 / month. It's pre-tax money, which helps a wee bit, but it is definitely expensive. If I made less money, I'd qualify for subsidies, but I don't, so that's just something that needs to be paid in full unfortunately.
  - deleted 11mo ago
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- tirant 11mo ago
  That’s absolutely not an exception. I’m in Germany, and for a family of four, the public healthcare system, covering my wife and my two kids costs us around 2,200€ per month. The company pays half. A switch to a private insurance would lower the costs around half.
  - deleted 11mo ago
    [deleted]
  - docdeek 11mo ago
    I was under the impression that German healthcare was essentially free (government funded) at the point of delivery, with additional top-insurance carried by most people similar to how it is in here in France. Here I am self-employed and pay about 100 euros a month in top-up insurance (mutuelle) for myself and a couple of kids. Of course, the healthcare costs more, that’s why my taxes are high; but the insurance cost is about €1200 a year, not €2200 a month.
    - orwin 11mo ago
      That will be hard to explain in English but you can find what you're paying to French healthcare system by looking at your paycheck (the document you receive every month that detail your paycheck rather). It basically either 7% or 13% of your paycheck (and .5% of non-work income via the CSG), and you have a hard cap on total contributions (4k/month, and healthcare if a bit more than half of that, so a bit more than 2k/month). It cover universal healthcare of course , but also maternity/paternity leave and invalidity benefits. Paternity/maternity also cover the pension parents get (half a year of contribution to the pension system per child if you take care of them til they are 13, plus half a month for giving birth) (that's so awkward explaining this in English, sorry)
      - docdeek 11mo ago
        Thanks for this. I work independently (no CDI or CDD) so I don’t get the paycheck/payslip. I imagine it is broken down somewhere in the different taxes I pay, but unfortunately I don’t get the monthly reminder.
JKCalhoun 11mo ago
You go without coverage of course. Unfortunately. (It's getting late, Jeff. I'm heading to bed myself.)
JumpCrisscross 11mo ago
I'm so, so sorry to hear this. Can you share which state you're in?
- Calvin02 11mo ago
  My man, this is the Raspberry Pi guy, Jeff Greeling. He lives in St. Louis, MO.
  - teaearlgraycold 11mo ago
    He is a god, and we mere mortals.
    - lostlogin 11mo ago
      For those like me, who also had no idea: https://www.jeffgeerling.com/about https://www.jeffgeerling.com/about He is impressive.
loeg 11mo ago
> But I can't imagine what people have to sacrifice to keep any kind of coverage (with high deductible and horrible coinsurance and prescription drug coverage) for their families if they don't have a decent income :( These increases are specifically a lapse in subsidies for high earners -- those with a "decent income." People under 400% of Federal Poverty Level still qualify for the subsidies. And it's a relatively recent policy change to roll back; we didn't have this subsidy from 2010-2020.
- fzeroracer 11mo ago
  This is not specifically just a lapse in subsidies for high earners, this is for everyone which is telling how little people actually understand what will happen when the subsidies expire. The enhanced subsidizes made it so people earning more than 400% FPL were also eligible for subsidies, but also more importantly increased the cap on how much income insurance could cost. In reality, most people would see their insurance costs double if the subsidys expired [1]. [1] https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/aca-marketplace-premium-payments-would-more-than-double-on-average-next-year-if-enhanced-premium-tax-credits-expire/ https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/aca-marketplace-prem...
azal 11mo ago
I take Remicade for UC on a monthly cadence. From $500 to now $1300/m for 2 in TX, and an added bonus of a 10% lab coPay + All kinds of fees. I am Blessed running a good startup but I've always felt this deeply.... "But I can't imagine what people have to sacrifice to keep any kind of coverage (with high deductible and horrible coinsurance and prescription drug coverage) for their families if they don't have a decent income :("
daft_pink 11mo ago
my premium actually went down because my carrier left aca, but there are no longer any carriers with a decent network in the exchange. the networks in the illinois aca suck if you live in the chicago area.
rstuart4133 11mo ago
> This year I'm paying $2100/month for a family of five, blink Top cover in Australia for a family is about USD$400 per month.

nradov 11mo ago

You're still allowed to visit the same PCP although it might not be covered, or covered out-of-network with a higher patient responsibility.

Avicebron 11mo ago

Excuse me, but how in the world were you able to afford 1200/month, you know that's like cheap rent right?

darth_avocado 11mo ago
My Employer sponsored supposedly nice insurance (I say supposedly because they keep being a pain in the ass for pretty much everything) is $200+ per paycheck for me and my spouse, i.e. ~$450/month. That is after my employer covers most of the cost. This stuff is ridiculous.
zdragnar 11mo ago
If you're getting health insurance through your employer, that's a pretty standard price (counting both your contribution and your employer's together). I'm probably going to be self employed for 2026 and a cheap-ish (not the cheapest, but probably below the average) plan for my family is going to be a little under $1500 / month. It's pre-tax money, which helps a wee bit, but it is definitely expensive. If I made less money, I'd qualify for subsidies, but I don't, so that's just something that needs to be paid in full unfortunately.
- deleted 11mo ago
  [deleted]
- deleted 11mo ago
  [deleted]
tirant 11mo ago
That’s absolutely not an exception. I’m in Germany, and for a family of four, the public healthcare system, covering my wife and my two kids costs us around 2,200€ per month. The company pays half. A switch to a private insurance would lower the costs around half.
- deleted 11mo ago
  [deleted]
- docdeek 11mo ago
  I was under the impression that German healthcare was essentially free (government funded) at the point of delivery, with additional top-insurance carried by most people similar to how it is in here in France. Here I am self-employed and pay about 100 euros a month in top-up insurance (mutuelle) for myself and a couple of kids. Of course, the healthcare costs more, that’s why my taxes are high; but the insurance cost is about €1200 a year, not €2200 a month.
  - orwin 11mo ago
    That will be hard to explain in English but you can find what you're paying to French healthcare system by looking at your paycheck (the document you receive every month that detail your paycheck rather). It basically either 7% or 13% of your paycheck (and .5% of non-work income via the CSG), and you have a hard cap on total contributions (4k/month, and healthcare if a bit more than half of that, so a bit more than 2k/month). It cover universal healthcare of course , but also maternity/paternity leave and invalidity benefits. Paternity/maternity also cover the pension parents get (half a year of contribution to the pension system per child if you take care of them til they are 13, plus half a month for giving birth) (that's so awkward explaining this in English, sorry)
    - docdeek 11mo ago
      Thanks for this. I work independently (no CDI or CDD) so I don’t get the paycheck/payslip. I imagine it is broken down somewhere in the different taxes I pay, but unfortunately I don’t get the monthly reminder.

JKCalhoun 11mo ago

You go without coverage of course. Unfortunately. (It's getting late, Jeff. I'm heading to bed myself.)

JumpCrisscross 11mo ago

I'm so, so sorry to hear this. Can you share which state you're in?

Calvin02 11mo ago
My man, this is the Raspberry Pi guy, Jeff Greeling. He lives in St. Louis, MO.
- teaearlgraycold 11mo ago
  He is a god, and we mere mortals.
  - lostlogin 11mo ago
    For those like me, who also had no idea: https://www.jeffgeerling.com/about https://www.jeffgeerling.com/about He is impressive.

loeg 11mo ago

> But I can't imagine what people have to sacrifice to keep any kind of coverage (with high deductible and horrible coinsurance and prescription drug coverage) for their families if they don't have a decent income :( These increases are specifically a lapse in subsidies for high earners -- those with a "decent income." People under 400% of Federal Poverty Level still qualify for the subsidies. And it's a relatively recent policy change to roll back; we didn't have this subsidy from 2010-2020.

fzeroracer 11mo ago
This is not specifically just a lapse in subsidies for high earners, this is for everyone which is telling how little people actually understand what will happen when the subsidies expire. The enhanced subsidizes made it so people earning more than 400% FPL were also eligible for subsidies, but also more importantly increased the cap on how much income insurance could cost. In reality, most people would see their insurance costs double if the subsidys expired [1]. [1] https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/aca-marketplace-premium-payments-would-more-than-double-on-average-next-year-if-enhanced-premium-tax-credits-expire/ https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/aca-marketplace-prem...

azal 11mo ago

I take Remicade for UC on a monthly cadence. From $500 to now $1300/m for 2 in TX, and an added bonus of a 10% lab coPay + All kinds of fees. I am Blessed running a good startup but I've always felt this deeply.... "But I can't imagine what people have to sacrifice to keep any kind of coverage (with high deductible and horrible coinsurance and prescription drug coverage) for their families if they don't have a decent income :("

daft_pink 11mo ago

my premium actually went down because my carrier left aca, but there are no longer any carriers with a decent network in the exchange. the networks in the illinois aca suck if you live in the chicago area.

rstuart4133 11mo ago

> This year I'm paying $2100/month for a family of five, blink Top cover in Australia for a family is about USD$400 per month.