Signing up for health insurance is a daunting adulting task for many, but for 22-year-old gas station manager DJ Mikunda, the process proved overwhelming and expensive on healthcare.gov, Fortune reported.
Not many 22-year-olds share DJ Mikunda’s enthusiasm for health insurance coverage. “You know what sounds like a good Friday night? It’s looking at health insurance,” he joked, according to Fortune. But Mikunda has a reason to be eager, having gone without coverage since he left home and started working in 2023.
He is now a manager at a gas station in St. Louis. In past years, he looked at plans on the federal health insurance marketplace, but the options proved overwhelming and a bit too expensive.
“I feel like I’m a well-informed individual,” Mikunda said. “I try to stay updated on what a deductible is and what the premiums are and copays. And I’m still finding myself a little bit lost.”
To sort through the basics, HealthQ introduced Mikunda to independent assister Jackie Shrago, who has helped people use the insurance marketplace since the early days of the Affordable Care Act. Shrago started by asking Mikunda about his income, which determines eligibility for reduced monthly payments.
The system uses a sliding scale for households making less than 400% of the federal poverty rate. Individuals without children who enroll for 2027 remain eligible for a subsidy with earnings up to $63,480. A person in their mid-20s making $50,000 gets an average 23% discount, according to KFF’s subsidy calculator. For someone making $30,000, the tax credit covers nearly three-quarters of the cost.
“The last thing you want is a surprise when you file your income taxes,” Shrago told Fortune. People must estimate next year’s income accurately to avoid owing money back to the government.
Shrago pivoted to monthly affordability and actual coverage needs, balancing up-front payments with out-of-pocket costs. Mikunda knows he needs regular doctor visits and prescription medication for a chronic joint condition that has gone virtually untreated since he lost Medicaid coverage.
Those financial trade-offs drive much of the decision, forcing buyers to find a comfortable medium. “If you’re dealing with something that is uncertain enough and you feel really awkward about it, you don’t need to make a decision today,” Shrago told Fortune. Assisters tend to have the least availability right before the federal marketplace’s Jan. 15 deadline.
One-on-one help is available through the Find Local Help tool on healthcare.gov to search for independent assisters by ZIP code. Assisters are prohibited from taking payment from insurance companies or charging clients for their help, unlike brokers and insurance agents.
However, the Trump administration cut funding for independent assisters and navigator nonprofits by roughly 90% in 2025. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said that the program was inefficient, costing more than $1,000 per person enrolled. When open enrollment began in 2025, Ohio’s count of paid navigators assisting local residents fell from 50 down to five.
“Take your time and think about it,” Shrago told Fortune, advising users to reach out early before assistance availability declines.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
