Is There a Hidden Penalty in Obamacare for Married Couples?

With the commencement of the Affordable Healthcare Act in the beginning of October, many were outraged, and some were hopeful.  No matter what side you were on, it was not clear what the effects of the Act would be, but now those effects are beginning to reveal themselves.  As with any mass enforced program, it is difficult to please everyone, but this Act has left a large American demographic in the dark: married couples earning more than 400% of the Federal poverty level.  If you do the math (or just Google it), that means that a family of two that earns $62,040 or more a year will not qualify for subsidies under the Act.  Now, if that same couple cohabited together, unmarried, they could earn up to $91,920 collectively before becoming ineligible for subsidies.

One New York City couple is feeling the effects of this first hand.  They are in serious contemplation of divorce because it will save them a rather substantial amount in health insurance per year.  The reason for this gap in the Act is unknown but the effect is clear: Americans have one less incentive to marry, and married couples are feeling the crunch on their wallets.