Obamacare: household income for four, health insurance for one

Does whole house income apply when only one person needs health insurance?

Family: Four, Uninsured: One

Dear Family Four,

Household income includes money that you and your spouse earn, or receive (certain non-taxable income counts too; see the Modified Adjusted Gross Income definition).  It would not include money that your dependent children earn at their after school, weekend, or summer jobs.

If it is an adult child who needs the health insurance and you are not claiming him or her on your taxes as a dependent, then it would be just his/her income on the application.  He would be a household of one.

Yes, the household income is the same whether there is one person or four people applying for health insurance.  The household income and number of people in the household determine the level of Federal Poverty.  This, in turn, determines how much subsidy you would get for the health insurance that is needed — which could be for one person or four people.

Linda Riddell

About Linda Riddell

A published author and health policy analyst with 25 years’ experience, Linda Riddell's goal is to alleviate the widespread ailment of not knowing what your health plan can do for you.