Bill and Shelly Gall say they’d be rich if it weren’t for their medical bills.
The early retirees, who are on an insurance plan purchased through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, spent upwards of $20,000 on health-care expenses and insurance premiums in 2023 and in 2024, largely due to chronic health issues and emergency eye surgeries. The couple is on pace for a slightly smaller sum this year, if they’re lucky, Bill said.
But next year, the Galls, who live in Meridian, Idaho, are bracing for their costs to grow significantly.
Based on figures available through Idaho’s online insurance marketplace, Bill, 61, and Shelly, 60, expect to pay almost $1,700 in monthly health insurance premiums in 2026 if enhanced premium tax credits expire at the end of this year as scheduled. That sum — a nearly 300% increase from their current $442 premium — would add $15,000 a year to their household medical costs.
CNBC reviewed the Gall family’s household financial records, including tax returns and health and insurance documents.
