Long story short, health insurance costs went way up for my husband and I. The only way we can pay for it is if I get a job. Which is hard because I have a major back injury...which can't be fixed unless I have insurance. So, jobs that have me on my feet are out. Desk jobs that are "entry-level" require 2+ years experience in a similar field. How does that make sense?

Does anyone have any advice? Or do you have a similar story?

Are your back problems medically documented? If so, I'm wondering if there's any type of vocational rehabilitation services you could contact to ask for advisement. They often have a list of employers/agencies handy that help support employment for people with all sorts of impediments.

If your back problems aren't medically documented, and you still have the ability to use that more expensive insurance, documentation might be a good first step. Vocational rehab services are available for those with physical and mental health concerns who want to work but need an extra boost of support in finding and maintaining employment. They aren't always available, but it could be something to consider.

Unfortunately, with the health insurance fiasco as it is, many families are left with just what you're describing. It's either pay the required increase, refuse health insurance and pay a yearly fee, or opt out if the insurance premiums hit some percentage of monthly income... 9.5%? Something like that? But then opting out means no medical insurance, so it's a bad situation all around.

The only other advice I can think of is for you guys to assess the likelihood that you'd need medical insurance. I don't know what your monthly premiums are/will be, nor your monthly income, but if you had to pay $800 a month for medical insurance that you barely use, it may be worth seeing how much a doctor visit out of pocket costs. $800 a month is $9600 a year. If you only go to the doctor once a year, it might be worth paying a fee for refusing coverage and whatever out of pocket costs would be incurred over a year.

It's a gamble no matter what you do. My husband and I both work, but I'm on his medical plan as it's cheaper. However, regardless of which plan we chose, the coverage is still crappy. If we have a major health catastrophe, we'd still have to pay $7000 or so. What's the point? I don't gripe because the actual insurance is $100/mo, and the Rx plan isn't bad. It just leaves me wondering what we'd do if an accident happened.

Hang in there!