Modifying the ACA's Family Subsidy Rules to Help Ensure Affordability

The Affordable Care Act encourages workers with access to employer-provided health coverage to retain it by restricting their eligibility for marketplace subsidies. In a blog post, RAND’s Amado Cordova, Sarah Nowak, and Evan Saltzman explain that a family is ineligible for marketplace subsidies if at least one member has access to affordable employer-provided insurance. They estimate the impact of a modification proposed by Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota that would allow dependents—but not workers—to receive subsidies when the family employer premium contribution exceeds the income threshold.