Affordable Care Act (ACA) application question.

[anonperson]

My wife and I have received our health care coverage through
the ACA (healthcare.gov) for at least the last five years
or more.


I am adjunct faculty at a community college and therefore
make very little money. My wife is not employed.


Until recently, I was unable to get health care coverage
from my adjunct faculty employment, and so our ACA
application every year was easy.

This year however, my adjunct faculty position has begun
to offer me coverage. I do not want this offered coverage
however because:

(1) the price of this coverage is about the same as
I would pay though the ACA exchange, BUT...

(2) the quality of this coverage is _less_ than what I
would receive though the ACA exchange.


The problem is, as we look at our ACA application for
this year (2020) there is a question that reads:

>> If you could've enrolled in employer coverage this year, select "Yes."

and then the application has a series of questions so that
they can learn more about this poor coverage I "could" have
received.


My question is this: will the ACA people/organization hold
this against us, that we _could_ have received some job
related coverage but chose not to?

For this reason, might the ACA people decide to give me and my
wife a smaller "premium tax credit".

How should we proceed on this?

Thank you for your help.

 

[ShyCat]

How should we proceed on this?

Truthfully, of course.

 

[LdiJ]

My wife and I have received our health care coverage through
the ACA (healthcare.gov) for at least the last five years
or more.


I am adjunct faculty at a community college and therefore
make very little money. My wife is not employed.


Until recently, I was unable to get health care coverage
from my adjunct faculty employment, and so our ACA
application every year was easy.

This year however, my adjunct faculty position has begun
to offer me coverage. I do not want this offered coverage
however because:

(1) the price of this coverage is about the same as
I would pay though the ACA exchange, BUT...

(2) the quality of this coverage is _less_ than what I
would receive though the ACA exchange.


The problem is, as we look at our ACA application for
this year (2020) there is a question that reads:

>> If you could've enrolled in employer coverage this year, select "Yes."

and then the application has a series of questions so that
they can learn more about this poor coverage I "could" have
received.


My question is this: will the ACA people/organization hold
this against us, that we _could_ have received some job
related coverage but chose not to?

For this reason, might the ACA people decide to give me and my
wife a smaller "premium tax credit".

How should we proceed on this?

Thank you for your help.

Wow, employer coverage that is actually worse that the ACA coverage? I am amazed. In any case, yes, if employer coverage is available to you that is officially "affordable" you might not qualify for the ACA coverage. However, as long as you truthfully and fully answer all of the questions you shouldn't end up with an surprises later on down the road.