I'm currently a FT employee in a job/career that I do not like, working on transitioning out.
I've applied for a number of home-based positions in related fields, but so far I've not had any success. I get it.... who wants a career-changer to start in a work-from-home role? But I'm in a small town in a rural area, where local jobs would be largely limited to my current field or require me to take some retail job that I'm grossly overqualified for. I have one appealing WFH opportunity I'm currently in the running for, but if I don't get it I'm considering going PT on my "day job" (with another company - I already have an option lined up, though haven't worked out salary yet) and focusing on my freelance writing side hustle. The side hustle currently makes ~$20k year and I feel confident I could get that up if I were actually seeking more work, so the finances would work out fine... but I'm stressed about health insurance.
We don't qualify for insurance through husband's FT job. Apparently they only accept people with pre-existing conditions who get the insurance immediately upon hiring... since we had really cheap coverage through a previous employer when he took the job and therefore didn't request the church insurance, and he DOES have a pre-existing condition, we were denied. We're all currently on my employer-sponsored insurance (at ~$950/month).... not super-cheap, by any means, but I'm kind of scared to give it up because of all of the uncertainty surrounding the ACA (prices, its continued existence, etc.).
I've looked into ACA plans in our area.... the cheapest plans (with a $14k deductible) are ~$1200/month and decent coverage would be closed to $1500/month. COBRA would probably be cheaper, but that's only for 18 months. Do insurance brokers have individual plans that are cheaper/better than marketplace plans, even for folks with pre-existing conditions? Or are we basically limited to COBRA/ACA? (Or healthsharing, but they make me nervous.)
What do you do for health insurance?
Are my concerns unfounded?
Any input would be greatly appreciated. I'm really ready to pull the plug, I think, and I have a good PT option already on the table (still in my field, but I could set my own schedule so I'd work only 10-20 hrs/wk to start with the goal of phasing it out completely over time).... I'm just scared of the insurance situation. But I can't stay FT much longer - I'm experiencing severe burnout & compassion fatigue that are significantly affecting my mental health and QOL.
