Feels so insane reading those kind of numbers as a Canadian.
My wife has a small business and she does not pay anywhere even approaching 40K for a pretty much bog standard policy for a ~50 year old woman. She does not go through the ACA marketplace, she gets a group policy through the company she uses for payroll.
That gives you a bronze plan with a really high deductible and out of pocket. Basically you will be paying the inflated insurance prices and mostly not reach the deductible.
> she gets a group policy through the company she uses for payroll.
That's why she pays less though. they are poolling people together through that company. (healthy and unhealthy)