While I have done this, problem is most people don’t view health insurance as a cost they should cover in any capacity.

Most employers aren’t really providing much “healthcare value” when compared to simply going on the exchange directly.

Even Medicare--with various add-ons--is not exactly cheap.

If you go without a job for a while and you don't want Medicaid [edit -- not even an option: and you don't want to submit to an invasive examination of your finances], you are paying out of pocket for individual marketplace plans. While they run a lot cheaper than COBRA, they are still hefty (ca. $500/mo for 2 people at minimum coverage).

Maybe it was worse before the ACA but it sure isn't a picnic after.

Can you clarify on the "invasive examination of your finances"?

In my experience, when you apply on healthcare.gov, you simply enter your estimated income for the year you're applying - that's it, and you get the subsidy. Then when you file your taxes for that year, you either get more subsidy as a credit, or pay some back depending on whether you came in above or below the estimate you provided on the application.

I was wrong. My estimated income for the year was $0, so the only choice was Medicaid or full out of pocket.

You did it wrong. Just always estimate just above the Medicaid threshold (assuming you legitimately don’t think you’ll make much in the year). Then you get the maximum subsidy, which might even make a Bronze plan completely free. If you end up making less at the end of the year, and really should have been on Medicaid, nothing gets clawed back. If you end up making more than estimated, you just have to pay back some of the subsidy.

Well, there's six grand I'll never get back. At least I know for the future.

>invasive examination of your finances,

The househpold income is voluntarily self-reported.

You're right. I misremembered; no amount of information would have helped. The option was Medicaid or full out of pocket.