Joel Ario Comments on ACA Marriage Penalty Claims
"Some Face Marriage Penalty"
The Philadelphia Inquirer
December 1, 2013 - Manatt's Joel Ario, a managing director with Manatt Health Solutions, spoke to The Philadelphia Inquirer about recent claims that the Affordable Care Act has a hidden marriage penalty.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that in Southeastern Pennsylvania, a silver-tier plan can carry a monthly premium of $575 to $1,012, depending on the plan. For middle class married couples who don't have children, the subsidy cutoff is $62,000. A silver-tier policy premium for two can range from $1,150 a month to $2,021. Some of those couples are complaining that the law has a hidden marriage penalty, noting that a combined household income of $70,000 for a married couple is ineligible, although an unmarried couple living together with the same income would be eligible.
"We've known all along that some people will do better in this market and some people will do worse," said Ario. "In the long run everyone gets more stability out of the marketplace."
Read the article here.