It's certainly a personal crisis for me.
I can't even fully describe all the many rotten layers of putrid stench there are to my healthcare situation for 2026 right now. But needless to say, I am one of the millions of people who may go without health insurance next year.
In my entire adult life, this year is the only year where I've come anywhere close to "breaking even" in terms of the cost of health insurance being worth it (i.e. the amount they've paid out is roughly equal to what I've paid in and the amount I've paid in is about what I'd have had to pay for my own healthcare bills if I didn't have health insurance at all). It's always been a one sided deal otherwise.
That issue aside, the insurance plans are going up hundreds or even a thousand dollars or more per month. At the same time, the federal tax incentives (aka subsidies) have ended. Those dramatically reduced the final cost of the plans, to the point where some plans were free for some people and without them it makes the already dramatic price increases astronomical. In addition, the new plans have higher out-of-pocket expenses in the form of higher co-pay, co-insurance, deductible, max out of pocket, and less coverage. Then of course the actual prices of all the drugs, supplies, testing, services, and so on will almost certainly go up simply due to "inflation".
All that to say, I'm looking at the numbers and having to make hard choices about what I can afford in 2026. Health insurance is looking less and less feasible. It sucks because without it, one health incident could literally be financial ruin. But of course with it, one health incident could literally be financial ruin, just slightly less likely. And the other aspect of it is that in the USA, health insurance basically is a ticket to access healthcare. Without it, you pay up front in full or you can forget it when it comes to things like doctors' visits and prescription drugs.