The Thursday Take — What Happens When You Stop Playing The Health Insurance Game

A transparent breakdown of why I chose CrowdHealth, what it actually costs, and the tradeoffs most people never run the math on.

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This year, I opted out of traditional health insurance.

That usually stops people mid-scroll, so let me explain why.

I use CrowdHealth instead.

How it works (in plain English):

It’s not insurance.

It’s a healthcare cost-sharing model.

• You apply and have to be accepted.

• You need to be relatively healthy and meet specific criteria to become a member.

• I pay a monthly membership, which is wayyyyy less than traditional premiums. I paid $60.48/month for January and February.

• When someone in the community has a medical expense, members crowd-fund it together. I contributed $39.33 for someone else’s health event this month and will never pay more than $140 per month to help another member in the Crowd.

• I can choose where I get care, see costs upfront, and negotiate cash prices with the help of their Care Advocacy team.

• There are no networks, no deductibles games, and no billing black holes.

It’s transparent.

It’s simple.

And, it treats healthcare like an actual service instead of an absolutely ridiculous financial trap.

Now, the very honest caveat:

Because CrowdHealth isn’t ACA-compliant insurance in California, I’ll pay a tax penalty at the end of the year.

Even factoring that in, I’m still estimating I’ll spend ~50% of what traditional insurance would cost me.

Let’s do the math that most people don’t actually run:

Traditional insurance I was quoted:

• $660+ per month

• That’s $7,920+ per year

For comparison:

• I’ve spent $60.48/month the past two months

• I will not spend more than an extra ~$140/month to help another member in the Crowd

Even with the end-of-year penalty, again, I’m still likely landing around half of the traditional cost.

And, that’s before we even talk about:

• Being able to actually use my care

• Not avoiding doctors out of fear of surprise bills

• Not subsidizing a system that profits off opacity and inefficiency

Is CrowdHealth for everyone? No.

Is traditional insurance working for most people? Also, no.

This isn’t medical or financial advice.

It’s just me opting out of a system that has never felt aligned, transparent, or sane.

Healthcare shouldn’t feel like a major scam you’re forced to participate in.

And, credit where it’s due: Andy Schoonover and the CrowdHealth team, you’re doing God’s work.

Let’s see how this plays out.

If you’d like to sign up today, click this link and use code MEGHANSW at checkout to receive a discounted cost of $99 per family member for their first 3 months of membership.

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Curious how others, especially if you’re self-employed, are navigating this: insurance, cost-sharing, direct primary care, cash pay, some hybrid, or something else entirely. Let me know how you’re navigating this in the comments. I read and reply to every response. I’ll share a full, real-world analysis at the end of 2026 after living this out longer!

And, if you have any other questions or comments, don’t hesitate to ask me any time in my weekly Q&A in my paid subscriber channel. If you’re not a paid subscriber, sign up below.

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