You will see a tier of plans labeled 'Catastrophic'. These are extreme backup plans. They cover 3 free primary care visits a year, but after that, they pay for absolutely nothing until you spend around $9,000 of your own money.
It’s a shield, not a pass
These plans are exclusively designed for people who simply want legal protection against a $200,000 hospital catastrophe, but do not care about daily healthcare costs.
Who is allowed to buy it?
Not everyone can buy one. By law, you must be under 30 years old. If you are over 30, you can only buy a Catastrophic plan if you officially apply for an "affordability hardship exemption" from the marketplace, proving standard plans are unaffordable.