On the heels of the launch of the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or “Obamacare”), reports of a potential “divorce tsunami” began pouring in. A press release from Certified Business Appraisal suggested that in the wake of newly available healthcare, couples separated but retaining joint health coverage might now opt for divorce. Considering the health care subsidies of singlehood, the Affordable Care Act has nixed the need to meet the 10-year requirement for social security benefits (and the potential to continue to receive health benefits under one spouse’s plan.) And now, there could be even further consequences to stay married.
Reports are showing that some couples may consider divorce for completely pragmatic reasons. Nona Willis Aronowitz and Aaron Cassara are a happily married Brooklyn couple who say they may now be forced to get a divorce in order to afford health care.
“After Obamacare has rolled out, we realized that we would save thousands of dollars if we got divorced,” Aronowitz told CBS.
Aronowitz and Cassara face a dilemma. As a family over two, they exceed the $62,000 cap to qualify for subsidies under the ACA. On the other hand, a single person can qualify for subsidies if they make less than $46,000 a year. So, if they lived together unmarried, they could save thousands of dollars a year on health care.
CNS News also reports that getting divorced (or avoiding getting married, if you live together), can save a fairly typical 40-year-old couple with kids $7,230 per year (example: the husband working full-time, and the wife working part time, with the husband making $70,000, and the wife making $23,000).
“If you are a 60-year-old couple with equal incomes and no kids, and you make $62,041 a year, you save $11,028 a year by getting divorced or remaining unmarried,” the site reports.
To calculate your own health insurance premiums and subsidies, visit the subsidy calculator here.
If you’re searching for divorce lawyers in Ohio, contact Gus Dahlberg and your team at Babbitt & Dahlberg today for a consultation and to meet your legal team.
