In this end-of-year episode, Tom Quigley delivers a blunt post-mortem on what many Americans feared — and hoped wouldn’t happen.

The enhanced ACA subsidies have officially sunset, and the fallout is immediate and brutal. Premiums that were once manageable have exploded overnight, forcing families, couples, and small business owners into impossible choices:

pay unaffordable premiums, go uninsured, or gamble with their financial future.

Tom doesn’t just react — he explains why this happened, who benefits from the chaos, and why the system is failing exactly as designed. This episode connects the dots between uneducated consumers, corrupt incentives, and a healthcare structure that punishes logic while rewarding greed.

🔍 Key Topics & Insights

1. The Enhanced Subsidies Are Gone — and the Damage Is Real

Tom confirms what many listeners are now experiencing firsthand:

Enhanced subsidies are fully sunset

Premiums jumped immediately

Some people chose to drop insurance entirely — even catastrophic coverage

Tom:

“They’re saying, ‘Why would I waste money on it?’ And that’s terrifying.”

2. Real Numbers: From $200 to $2,800 a Month

Tom shares a shocking real-world example:

Couple paying ~$200/month

New premium: $2,800/month

That’s not inflation — that’s a de facto tax increase of over $24,000 per year.

Neil:

“That’s a 3,000–4,000% increase.”

Tom:

“Unreal — and totally avoidable.”

3. Why People Are Going Uninsured

With costs this high, some individuals are:

Skipping insurance altogether

Rolling the dice for a year

Waiting for Medicare eligibility

Using only virtual care and DPC

Tom is clear:

“That’s not smart — but it’s understandable.”

Without catastrophic coverage, one event can mean:

Bankruptcy

Lifetime payment plans

Financial ruin

4. Medicare vs. the Rest of the System

Tom draws a sharp contrast:

Traditional Medicare remains the best insurance in the world

Yes, Part B and supplements increase — but nothing like ACA plans

Medicare Advantage may fluctuate, but Medicare itself is stable

For everyone else?

“They’re paying more for health insurance than a mortgage.”

5. Direct Primary Care: The One Thing That Still Makes Sense

Tom reinforces what he’s said all year:

Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a no-brainer

Flat monthly fee

Unlimited visits

Massively discounted labs and diagnostics

Longer doctor visits

Real preventive care

Tom’s own example:

“I had $2,000 worth of labs done for $100.”

One or two lab visits alone often cover the entire annual DPC cost.

6. Will Enhanced Subsidies Ever Come Back?

Tom is pessimistic — but practical.

He outlines the only two logical paths forward:

Option 1: Government Fully Involved

$50,000 deductible for every American

Government buys reinsurance

Savings fund the system

Catastrophic protection guaranteed

Option 2: Private Market + High-Risk Pool

Allow medical underwriting again

Government funds high-risk individuals

Insurance companies cover healthy pools

Costs drop dramatically

Either option:

Saves trillions

Restores logic

Requires political courage

7. Who’s Really Blocking Reform

Tom pulls no punches:

Corrupt Departments of Insurance collecting premium tax

Commission-based agents protecting income

Hospitals inflating costs unchecked

Pharma posturing while avoiding real reform

Lobbyists controlling policy

Tom:

“It’s a big dupe — and the American public doesn’t know enough to fight back.”

8. The Education Crisis Nobody Wants to Talk About

Tom identifies the core issue:

Americans understand mortgages and car loans

They do not understand health insurance

No education in:

Grade school

High school

College

Result:

“People pay more for healthcare than housing — and don’t question it.”

9. The ACA Isn’t the Villain — Ignorance Is

Tom makes a critical distinction:

What the ACA did right:

No preexisting exclusions

No lifetime limits

Preventive care

What went wrong:

No flexibility