Hey, first! If you value what we do, this is the best-ever time to support our work: This month, every donation gets matched two-for-one.

We have SO much work ahead in 2026. Donate here — and get your money matched two-for-one.

It’s probably fair to say: this is the worst year ever for picking health insurance. Premiums are skyrocketing – whether you get insurance through work or from the Obamacare marketplace.

And with enhanced subsidies almost definitely expiring, millions of people with Obamacare plans are grappling with drastic changes to their household budgets.

We’re our own case study: You’ll hear us sorting through our own options. None of them are pretty, but because we know how to read the fine print, we figured out: Some are way, way less awful than others.

And to help you do the same: We’ve boiled down our fine-print-reading expertise in this starter pack on how to pick insurance.

Also in this episode: we talk with a listener who wonders: is paying for health insurance even worth it at this point? (Her ultimate answer: Yes, but argh.)

Read Julie Appleby’s reporting for KFF Health News about what could happen if Congress changes course and extends the subsidies.

Here’s a transcript of this episode.

Send your stories and questions! Or call 724 ARM-N-LEG.

And, again… we’d love for you to support this show.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.