If you don’t buy insurance, you’re called a free rider, but your Obamacare penalty goes to pay for other people’s subsidies, the real free riders.
I am not one to normally bet the farm. However, if I lost my employer coverage and had to pay $9K a year for Bronze coverage I’d probably go without. That is what Gold level
Cobra coverage would have cost me a few years ago. More likely I would try to tweak my income to either get a subsidy or a hardship waiver under the 8% rule. I would then be eligible to buy a Bronze plan or catastrophic coverage for around $250 a month.