Employer health plans tend to be pretty strong. Strong coverage costs a lot. You probably just didn’t notice when your employer was paying for part of it. Now that you’re on your own, you can probably find a Marketplace plan for cheaper. Definitely check. But how much progress have you made toward your deductible so far?

The metal tiers are more about risk tolerance than coverage: Lower tier = pay less monthly, but pay more when you go to the doctor Higher tier = pay more monthly, but pay less when you go to the doctor

A health savings account (HSA) is an interest-bearing bank account where you can put pre-tax dollars in and use them for healthcare costs. But to be eligible to contribute to an HSA, you need a special high-deductible, high-premium health (HDHP) health plan.

White collar work is also more likely to lead to burn-out and mental health disability, which leads to longer and more expensive claims than many physical injuries.