Stressed. Got a job offer but Insurance option is not great. Help with comparing, plan of action?

Current Plan (PDF)

New Plan (Image)

I got a job offer with a significant increase in pay (about $15k annually). The problem is, I'd be leaving a massive company to work for a small, local company. The small company only offers what appears to be an HDHP plan. From what I understand, I'd be paying a bit more in monthly premiums and nothing would be covered until I hit the $3200/$6400 deductible.

My family uses our health care extensively, for prescriptions and regular Dr. visits. We pay OOP about $210/month in copays & drugs. I calculated we would pay $640 on average OOP with the new plan until hitting the deductible, a total OOP difference of ~$477 month until November (barring surprises).

This basically means, While I'd be bringing home about $1k more a month, 1/2 of that would go right back out to medical costs.

It's crazy to me that I'm about to pass up on a job that pays so much more because their healthcare option is so horrible…

Here are my questions:

I've been reading that you can buy coverage from the marketplace and get the premium tax credit if the plan that is offered doesn't cover 60% of expected medical expenses. Since I don't get coverage until paying out $14k (premium + deductible) it seems to me that it wouldn't cover the 60%. Is my logic flawed? Does it look like this plan would allow me to buy marketplace coverage?

Regarding the affordability of the plan, do they consider only the monthly premiums or also the deductible if coverage is contingent on meeting said deductible?

My daughter is 23 and lives with us, but doesn't contribute to expenses… she files her own taxes, we don't claim her, though she would be on our insurance. Would her income need to be included in the tax credit application?

This new plan says it's eligible for an HSA. I'm pretty sure this employer doesn't contribute anything to the HSA. Would this just mean I can transfer a certain amount of money pre-tax per check and pay for my prescriptions/Dr. visits from that? Is the benefit only the pre-tax nature of it if my employer doesn't contribute anything?

It says prescriptions are covered by BlueRX (embedded). Do you read that to mean you must use that pharmacy exclusively (which appears to be mail order only…). My current plan forces us to use CVS/Caremark, which is annoying, but at least they have retail locations.

If I'm not able to buy coverage on the marketplace, or it's too expensive and I'm forced to take this plan if I want this job, is it really as bad as it seems? Am I missing something? Is there anything else I can do to mitigate the steep increase in my medical expenses? I'd hate to walk away from such a good job offer just because the insurance is so much poorer…

Do you know how I'd go about getting the actual SBC for this new plan? Can I call Blue Choice and request it?

Thanks in advance for all of your help!

P.S. – The new company said they could pay me $5k to not take the insurance… This would help with the marketplace policy, but that is of course contingent on whether I'd be eligible to purchase a plan from the marketplace…

submitted by /u/sicclee
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