My wife and I decided to pony up for COBRA health coverage through the end of the year until new plans and costs are available for open enrollment into ACA next year. The current plans (and subsidies) are not competitive with the coverage I received from work. We have providers/specialists in other states that we see currently that the Nebraska ACA plans do not include (nor do they offer out of network coverage except for emergency and urgent care services).

Healthcare is indeed broken in this country. I would be paying up the nose regardless of COBRA to insure my family.

I stand by what I have been counseling friends and colleagues: get your rainy day fund in order asap. If you have zero, build it to 3 or more months of expenses (but get yourself to that 3 month and keep adding to it). If you have 3, build it to 6. If 6, get it up to 12. Frankly, when you get to 12, add 6 more months if you can. Costs will be variable and surprises come up, and healthcare will not get cheaper.