Next Year ObamaCare Could Pay a Typical Uninsured Family $8,462

Did you know that in 2014 one the new elements of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) will kick in which will subsidize health insurance for low/mid income families?   You may have heard something about that detailed buried in amongst the partisan hyperbole when they were debating the law.    Did you know that those subsidizies will be in the form of tax credits to help families pay for health insurance if they aren't eligible for insurance from their employer?  

 The Kaiser Family Foundation has a calculator to estimate the amount of the subsidy based on age, income and some other factors. 

The tax credit mandated by Obamacare to subsidize health insurance are expected to be around $8,462 for a family of 4 with 42 year old policy holder and a $55,000 annual income.

The subsidy will vary based on the details.   A 40 year old single person with the same $55,000 income would not get any subsidy as their individual insurance is much cheaper.


Now don't get all excited, this subsidy is not available if you can get insurance from your employer.   So for most people theres no changes and no subsidy.   The tax credit is meant to help people pay for health insurance who don't already get insurance from work.    You can also only get the credit if you buy insurance through an exchange.   And the credit is setup to pay part of your insurance so families will often also have a share of the expense to pay themselves.   Its not like the government pays you $8462 and you get to do whatever with it, that amount is based on an assumption that insurance will cost $12,597 and the family pays the other $4,135.   Thats what the KFF site says.  
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