you make a fair point. it's true that while the premiums are reasonable for people who qualify for a subsidy many plans do come with high out-of-pocket costs. you can decide to pay the penalty -- that is an option. just keep in mind that these plans allow you to obtain preventive services at no cost at the time of the visit. and if you have an accident or are diagnosed with a serious illness even the high deductible will be immeasurably less expensive than paying for care out-of-pocket.
with the subsidies my cost of health insurance premiums should be below $200 a month. . yet with $6 000 in deductibles it doesn't sound like i can afford to go to the doctors even if i need to. doesn't it make more sense for me to just take the $95 tax penalty and save $2 400 premiums and out-of-pocket expenses of $6 000? if i have to pay $8 400 each year toward medical expenses i cannot afford to live in my home of 23 years.