What are your thoughts on leaving your group insurance plan for the insurance exchange plans

While many readers have expressed interest in leaving their employer sponsored plan in order to save money, is it really worth it?

If you qualify for a subsidy then maybe, but this only applies if your share of the premium for an individual health plan where you work amounts to more than 9.5 percent of your household income. Whether you take more expensive family coverage doesn't matter; the benchmark is what an individual policy would cost.

The rule means that someone earning $40,000 a year and paying $3,775 for individual coverage would not be eligible for a subsidy. If you are considering  paying even more for family coverage, you would still not be eligible because, again, the premium for an individual is less than $3,800 (or 9.5 percent of $40,000).

According to a recent study, with the 9.5 percent-of-income threshold, only 8.6 percent of employees are required to pay premium contributions that would meet the Affordable Care Act's definition of unaffordable.

What are your thoughts?