Reply #43: $585 a month for my family through work. Entire package, including vision and dental.

[haele]

No way could we afford it on our own. If I were to lose my job, Cobra would be $800 a month for as long as we had it.
Two years ago, when I was worried about my job, the cheapest I could find other then medicare for the disabled spouse was BCBS, $950 a month with a $5K deductible for just me and the kid, no spouse. No mental, which sucks as she needs a therapist due to shit she went through with her mother. With the Spouse added, it would be up in the $1500 a month range, because of his disability. Not counting co-pays and pharmacy. Lord knows what that would be now.
I suppose it would be tax deductible at that level of cost, but that's one entire paycheck of the two I get a month. Just for the premium. The other paycheck pays the rent, and SSDI might cover other bills - utilities, copays and pharmacy, but damn, that means we would be living out of a community food kitchen and be picking through dumpsters for everything else. And give up driving or taking the bus.
And of course, "I make too much" for us to get any sort of assistance.

Haele