By "good" do you mean less expensive? By "crappy" do you mean more expensive? You are free to go to the private market any time. Just understand that coverage for the ACA mandated items such as doctor's visits, testing and interpretation, prescription coverage, no disqualification for prior conditions, no lifetime limit on payments, etc. cost money and therefore raise premiums. So cheaper "catastrophic" policies are great until you have to use them. I know this from multiple experiences.