I called to cancel my health insurance because I couldn't afford the premium anymore. The rep asked why I wanted to cancel. I told her I'm paying $685 a month for a family plan with a $9,000 deductible. That's $8,220 a year before I've even paid for a single doctor's visit, prescription, or emergency room bill. So if someone in my family gets seriously sick, I'm still looking at thousands of dollars in medical expenses on top of the premiums I've already been paying all year. I asked her what exactly I'm supposed to do with a plan like that. She explained that the policy was designed to help cover eligible medical expenses after I met my deductible. I told her I understood how insurance works. What I don't understand is how a family can pay more than $8,000 a year for coverage and still be terrified of getting sick. She didn't have an answer. WE'VE CREATED A HEALTHCARE SYSTEM WHERE PEOPLE ARE PAYING THOUSANDS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM MEDICAL BILLS THEY STILL CAN'T AFFORD.