[raw_anon_1111]

Are you really suggesting that a family should not have insurance at all and save the money?

I have been working for 30 years and have never once paid more than $10K a year for insurance across 10 jobs 15 of those years were a family plan.

Hell one of those jobs was with Amazon - the company with the shittiest benefit package in all of BigTech and even then I only $12K with a family plan. Right now we pay around $10K - my wife myself and my adult but under 26 (step)son

[mothballed]

You've likely paid at least $18k if not more like $25k for that insurance in the form of wage income moved to benefit income. The government's tax and regulatory environment post WWII just ensures that unless you choose to take it as 1099 income, your potential 1099 income gets reflected in reduced W2 wages that are paid out in benefits.

You might claim that if your employer didn't offer that benefit they'd just pay nothing, but required health benefits function much as payroll taxes which economists have showed are largely reflected in the form of reduced incomes. That is, you are paying it ~all one way or another.

[raw_anon_1111]

We know exactly how much your employer pays for their share of your health benefits. That was also part of the ACA to disclose it to employees.

You’re not wrong - I think it’s around 2/3rds so for me it would be around $36K a year all in if I had to do COBRA.