In Ohio it is not legally required to have health insurance.
I've been with my current company for 2 years and some months now. When I was first hired I selected my Health Insurance, and then had to confirm it mid-November a few month later. Prior to selection, we got multiple emails the entire month prior reminding us that even if we do not change plans we have to re-elect in order to have insurance at the start of the coming year.
Last year, again many emails announcing that we would be changing companies! However, very quickly, the employees realize they obviously cut corners for a cheap insurance that (get this) didn't have any in-network providers in our entire state. Now we realized that this was not put forth by “our” company, but rather the parent company that bought this 8 months prior to my start date. This parent company is a (semi) large corporation that “specializes” in Opthalmic Business. They own about 6 companies in Ohio, 2 in Pennsylvania, and Multiple in Michigan. The insurance they tried to have us use only have accepted providers in MI and PA. But the vast majority of this company is located across Ohio. Tons, if not all, of employees expressed they're concerns that most of us won't have any providers available to us and that we simply didn't accept this decision. Cue the parent corporation scrambling to get back with our previous insurance provider. Not a single plan offered a co-pay. Minimum deductible was $2500, and all plans were between $50-$100 per paycheck. To the employees it was blatantly clear they tried to cut corners for cost, and ended up fucking every single person who works for them.
I myself have multiple diagnosed mental and physical issues that require me to go to a doctor, typically resulting in me being at a doctor's office every 3-4 weeks. I couldn't this year. I had to threaten a resignation to get paid a “livable” wage that was quickly outpaced with inflation. How the fuck am I suppose to afford a $250/doctors visit? Then how am I supposed to afford $120 for 30 days of medication (that's the one that I have to take, that's not even those other ones that are considered “voluntary”, a 30 day supply costed me $300 once. That was before I “elected” to stop). And then do that 10 times at a reasonable pace so I don't launch myself into medical debt. That's just not fucking possible or plausible.
Now we're on to this year, and I really need to return to my doctor because I'm about to run out of refills. And guess what. Not a single God damn thing has been said about our insurance this year. My manager heard “the detail will be out soon ” two weeks ago, and we were required to have our selection submitted by Nov 17th last year. I'm getting worried because my quality of life has significantly deteriorated without getting the care I need, and they aren't giving any information about it. The corporation wants to sell our company after the contract ends this upcoming December, and it's no surprise they're cost cutting right now. But are they going to fuck us on insurance? Again? I'm not even paid enough to get any good private insurance not supplied by my employer. I feel trapped. I love my job, but this company is ultimately fucking me over. And I like my current Healthcare providers, so changing jobs right now isn't ideal because I'm more likely to have to start all over with my care. That would mean all of next year would just be re-establishing myself to bew doctors, going over the same mundane lectures about my conditions, and even then I might have to switch because they wouldn't provide the care I want/need.
Privatized Insurance is a SCAM.
The only way you can get “decent” insurance is selling your soul to an employer or selling an arm and leg every month to afford your own.