Dave, Just to make Pete's point in another way.... Your states insurance commissioners allowed your old plan to exist. It worked for you because you did not find the holes in that policy and you liked the price. Your state's insurance commissioner would deal with the individual complaints for people who fell through that policy. The people could complain and get screwed by their insurance company but that was it. (part of the reason that insurance reform was the issue in the 08 election)

The ACA set a national standard for just what a policy had to cover. So your current policy had to change and come up to the national standard.... Your insurance commissioner must enforce the new law. So, like all insurance, if you don't use some of it... you think you are overpaying... eg materinity care... I doubt you have much need for that but it's nominally included because the law demands non discrimination against women .... Now your insurance company knows you won't need maternity care for you and the family at 50 plus... but they can blame the cost increase on this and gouge you another way.

The solution is to actually have more insurance companies in your state... In some states, one company owns 90% of the market.... it is impossible for another company to come in... find docs and hospitals and start competing. Right now,.... you have your old company.. with their individual plans... and the ACA spec policies offered by your old company but meeting the national standard. ... that is NOT competition that works for you.

In either case, what you are buying is from a private company. There is nothing free market about health insurance tho.... it is just Private and the ACA added some government regulations... eg spend 80% premium on medical payouts or send a rebate... Stock holders of the insurance companies benift because they get more customers with the ACA.

You are not getting goverment health care now... Medicare is public government run health insurance... as is Tricare for the military... as is Medicaid for poor people.. You are not using any of these public systems.