CTLawyer – you have a fringe case. I am on the verge of letting my NY insurance lapse, because I simply can’t afford 15k+/year (+ 400/month+ subsidy) for what essentially is a catastrophic coverage couple’s silver plan. A normal healthy couple does not usually use over 6k/year in doctor’s bills – the deductible until insurance kicks in.
The ACA helps in some ways and hurts in others. The real conversation needs to be – how to get the government out of health care and allow the free market to work. When the fees are undisclosed, actually unknown, due to insurance generally covering the exorbitant fees charged by doctors and hospitals, there is never any negotiation. People negotiate with builders, plumbers, mechanics – everyone, except their doctor. A doctor’s visit with a blood test should not cost $500+. The prices are all fake, and it’s mostly due to lack of competition. Ask a hospital “how much is this procedure?”, and they will not know. It all gets billed later on, with an entire team of people who specialize in “medical billing”. It’s insane, and it needs to be fixed.