In this episode of Call Me Donovan, I dusted off the mic after a bit of a break to catch up and unload about life, health, and the ridiculous state of healthcare in America. I kicked things off talking about guest-hosting on Grumpy Old Geeks with Jason DeFilippo while his usual co-host was living it up at Disneyland Paris — a fun detour before diving into the not-so-fun topic of health insurance sticker shock.
I talked about how I’ve been feeling drained lately — tired all the time despite good sleep and a clean lifestyle — but joked that going to the doctor here in the “land of the free and the uninsured” isn’t exactly affordable. That rolled into a hard look at my own insurance costs as a self-employed small business owner: over $21,000 a year in premiums for a bronze plan with a $16,000+ deductible. Yeah, that’s not a typo — twenty-one grand for the privilege of still paying out of pocket.
I ran the numbers (because I’m a glutton for punishment): my family’s health insurance costs are jumping by over 1,000% once the subsidies disappear next year. So, like a lot of Americans, we’ll probably have no coverage in 2026. I made my usual case for universal healthcare — not because it’s perfect elsewhere, but because the current “you’re on your own” model is insane.
I wrapped things up asking listeners to share their own marketplace horror stories at callmedonovan.com/voicemail, signed off hoping everyone’s holding up, and reminded y’all — if surviving in this economy doesn’t give you high blood pressure, your next premium notice will.
Voicemail: https://callmedonovan.com/voicemail
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