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My old method of just picking the cheapest bronze plan is costing me more now
For years I grabbed the lowest premium bronze plan on the marketplace because I rarely went to the doctor. Then last June I needed an MRI for a shoulder issue and the deductible plus coinsurance hit me for $3,200 out of pocket. Anyone else find that a silver plan with a slightly higher monthly payment actually saves money in the long run?
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barbaradavis4d ago
Not everyone over 40 gets trapped by bronze though.
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shane_morgan4d ago
The real trap is bronze plans with HSA eligibility - people overpay for the tax break.
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shane_morgan4d ago
Read something from a healthcare analyst that said bronze plans only make sense if you literally never need anything beyond a physical. The math changes fast once you hit that deductible. I switched to a silver plan two years ago and the higher monthly premium got offset by lower copays and a better out-of-pocket max. You basically have to guess what your health will be like for the year, but if you're past 40 or have any ongoing issues, bronze is a trap. The worst part is bronze plans often have narrower networks too, so that MRI might have cost even more if you went out of network by accident.
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