Can I get better insurance than employer offers?

You should probably contact a Texas-based navigator (https://localhelp.healthcare.gov/) to assist you in reviewing your options under the ACA.

Be sure to check your eligibility for subsidies for the Obamacare plans. See this article http://www.bankrate.com/finance/insurance/obamacare-exchanges-vs-employer-health-insurance.aspx. There are complicated rules about the cost of the plan, or you might qualify by yourself. Or, if you could qualify for SSI (aka Social Security disability) in many states you would be http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/medicaid.htm, if your doctors would accept it. Or, you might qualify for Medicaid just based on income. The exchange would help you with the latter possibility. I'm sorry this is difficult; the U.S. healthcare system is really complicated.

Sounds like you got one of those old fashioned "junk" plans. That's unPossible. With the new rules of the ACA these things simply cannot exist, like dinosaurs after the comet. Now to some reality. You and or your husband had a "life-changing event": a new job. You could have applied for a plan through your state exchange. You may still be able to. Check it out, get online and apply specifying a life-changing event. You do not have to wait for open enrollment to do this.

Use dhartung's link ASAP.

The plan as it stands costs you $833/month (max out the deductible). Are your current meds more or less expensive than this? Secondly, you can shop around for private insurance but $800 a month including deductibles for a family with pre existing conditions does not seem crazy high. Have you looked at your states ObamaCare exchanges?

A bit unrelated but you should be aware of this, as I understand it, under ERISA, an employer can't "waive the 90 day waiting period for insurance coverage just for him.. Be aware that the insurance company http://wmimutual.com/publications/pdf/2008/january_2008.pdf (PDF file) ALL claims during that 90 day period.

I live in a different state. I have chronic medical conditions and so does my wife. My deductible on my BCBS plan (also a PPO) does not mean I pay everything out of pocket until I hit my deductible. It means that I pay my copayments. I haven't had to pay a full bill for anything. Even with 4 therapy appointments a month, and 2 doctor appointments a month I pay 150 out of pocket plus copay for meds (which are also 25 per med generally). So you may not actually reach your deductible.

And word to the wise make sure with your small business you pay your medicare taxes each year. There is a huge difference in coverage for someone who is disabled and qualifies for Medicare vs someone who qualifies for medicaid. This generally based on work credits which is calculated by work you paid taxes on. Check with the SSA website to see your personal credits. In addition waiting to long to apply can decrease your overall benefit.

That's a third of our income. Plus you're not taking into account what we are already paying in premiums for this plan, just the deductible. I haven't done the math on exactly how much our medications cost with no insurance yet, but it's probably approaching that. Plus paying 100% for all doctor visits (I have three doctors, two which want to see me every 3 months) and all tests and labwork and procedures. So does this insurance plan save us some money every year? Probably, a bit in December. Does that mean we can afford to pay for both it and all our expenses? No.