re: #104 Lidane

It’s the same stupidity though. If you’re earning enough as a self-employed worker, WHY would you cut your own personal income down to the point where you qualify for subsidies?

You wouldn’t if you’re already well over the cap, but if you’re close to the cap it could become a consideration. The basic concern about a dramatic fall-off in a subsidy is that if a $1000 rise in income is going to result in insurance costing $5000 more, then people are not going to try to higher incomes if they think they’re liable to get caught in that gap. It must be said, though, that it would likely be possible to escape such a trap by giving the excess money to charity.

The later argument in the article that Obamacare has a “marriage penalty” merits review. If the subsidy regime does indeed contain that kind of problem, then it should be amended to correct said problem.