What to do if the insurance your employer offers is really terrible?

My job has the UHC Choice Plus plan. I am someone who needs a fairly high amount of medical care, as I have chronic mental and physical illnesses, and also have a surgery I'd like to get done (sterilization). Since I got this plan I decided to just put off my surgery because it seemed to me from the plan documents I'd basically have to pay my entire out of pocket maximum towards it (7720 left now, 9100 at the start of the year), though maybe I was misunderstanding, I never called them to try to make sense of it.

I also haven't been going to therapy/counseling at all this year because so few counselors here even take UHC, let alone counselors who actually meet my scheduling/therapy needs.

As an example I saw a specialist recently and paid a $125 copay. Then also got a bill for $156. Insurance "adjusted" $200 and actually paid $70. Same thing with lots of my prescriptions, insurance pays much less than what I pay. Not really sure what the point of having insurance is if I'm paying for the majority of the bill.

I would be happy to pay higher monthly premiums in order to spend less of my money in the long run but I don't think I qualify for the premium tax credit because I am eligible for an employer plan. Monthly premiums for gold BCBS plans in my area are close to $500. That's a pretty bitter pill to swallow, though if it saves me a lot of money on my surgery and copays and etc. maybe it would balance out. But that doesn't include vision and dental which my employer plan does.

Not sure if I should just keep going with this plan and continue not attending therapy and skip the surgery I'd like or strike out on my own.

ETA: 33, in North Carolina, gross income 41,600

submitted by /u/erratastigmata
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