your wife should have been able to get another policy with some insurer in your state after exhausting cobra. that's a requirement under hipaa laws. in any case going forward she will now be guaranteed insurance -- no one can be turned down starting in 2014. but at your income level there won't be any financial assistance from the government to help cover the cost and because you file taxes jointly her access to subsidies will be based on the $150k income you cited. i would suggest you shop both on and off the marketplaces set up under the law. take a look at healthcare. gov which is the aca marketplace. also shop your options on a site like ehealthinsurance. com which will give you a broader list of plans from which to choose or find a licensed insurance agent to work with in your area at nahu. org.
i am a retired administrator drawing ss pension and state retirement (total agi $150k in 2013). i am separated (not legally) from my wife (we live in separate homes) filing married but separate irs for the past five years. my wife has no insurance coverage and is 59 years of age. i had her covered by humana on my cobra until september 1 but they declined to cover her under new policy at that time presumably due to a pre-existing condition. how do i get her covered and what premium cost should i expect to pay?