Ah, I guess I hadn't considered that her plan covered him too. Still, pretty expensive for a plan that only covers 80%, especially if the $7,000 is before the kid.

Don't forget that university student plans are often unusually cheap because the enrollment requirement ensures a relatively inexpensive risk pool. They can also come with unusual restrictions (e.g. your PCP must be at the campus health center), though I think PPACA may no longer allow some of those practices.

In any case, since it sounds like he isn't a student, they probably don't qualify for a student plan and are falling back to something more expensive.