That may only hold true if you're looking at the cheapest available options. I skimmed over the options available through my state's exchange (Covered California) and ehealthinsurance.com; for a 25-year-old making $40k/year, Covered CA's options range from $252 to $305, and ehealthinsurance's range from $100 to $384. The $305 option looks pretty attractive compared to most of the more expensive ehealthinsurance plans (although that $384 plan is, admittedly, hard to top).