A salaried job with health benefits has long been considered the gold standard of employment in the U.S. But now, as sharply rising healthcare premiums eat into workers’ pay, young, healthy professionals are rejecting employer-sponsored insurance. Instead, they’re going without coverage or finding cheaper options, saying they can’t afford to be on the company plan. Jessica Balcerzak, a 33-year-old nurse who works for a hospital in Buffalo, N.Y., decided to waive her employer’s insurance in 2025.