We used COBRA but honestly that company had an awful high deductible plan to begin with and seemed to barely cover anything.

I was glad when a new job was offered with much better insurance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Floss your teeth. Brush after every meal. Wear masks in crowded places. Salt water gargle. Live in a clean home. Shower every day. Hydrate with water. More vegetables and whole plant based foods. Exercise. Sleep well.

PRAY.

You're nuts to write this in response to a question about health insurance. I just can't even believe you would say this.

Ok...move to another country, delusional fool. Don't fall sick,

I went to the exchange and put in my income and got put on the Exchange which cost me $0.

Fortunate to be able to switch over to spouse's work insurance though it's more than double the price.

Anonymous wrote:Floss your teeth. Brush after every meal. Wear masks in crowded places. Salt water gargle. Live in a clean home. Shower every day. Hydrate with water. More vegetables and whole plant based foods. Exercise. Sleep well.

PRAY.

You're nuts to write this in response to a question about health insurance. I just can't even believe you would say this.

I would really advise getting it for yourself - even just catastrophic insurance. One unexpected medical bill could cause financial catastrophe for the uninsured.

I bought it only for the kid for $200 a month. He is never sick.
I'm never sick and have gone without for decades.

Anonymous wrote:I used COBRA when I was laid off and unemployed for four months. I did every medical thing I had put off in part because I wanted to stick my employer with the bill (self-insured company) and I had time for appointments.

lol I love this! Did you figure out how much more the company ultimately paid out compared to your premiums?

Thanks, everyone, really appreciate

I used COBRA when I was laid off and unemployed for four months. I did every medical thing I had put off in part because I wanted to stick my employer with the bill (self-insured company) and I had time for appointments.

It's more expensive than the exchange but my deductible was low and coverage was better than ACA plans. I would likely do the same thing again and re-evaluate switching to ACA if I was unemployed longer term.

Cobra is retroactive so we didn't sign up initially but knew we could in an emergency. I hustled to get a job in the public school system (great benefits, crap pay). Before my benefits kicked in for the family, I considered bubble wrapping my children and prayed. Spouse eventually landed a new job but the pay/benefits aren't great and the job security is questionable so I'll stay right where I am for now. It's really stressful to even think about tbh.

Floss your teeth. Brush after every meal. Wear masks in crowded places. Salt water gargle. Live in a clean home. Shower every day. Hydrate with water. More vegetables and whole plant based foods. Exercise. Sleep well.

PRAY.

COBRA, Obamacare. Chapter 7 bankruptcy if anything outrageous gets charged.

We got insurance off the Maryland exchange. It was cheaper than COBRA, but almost as much as our mortgage. Rates went up (obviously) from 2025 to 2026. Fortunately now employed after 8 months. I honestly don't know how most people can afford this, we were lucky to have some buffer but I know many others do not.

This is a volatile time, particularly in the DC area. If you lose your job unexpectedly, and particularly if you have a spouse/kids to support, what do you all think is the best route for health insurance? (i.e. COBRA, finding it independently in the marketplace, etc.) Any tips/lessons learned to cover your family's health but also keep your money as much as possible?