How to calculate health insurance affordability?

Asked by: Kathryne Fadel  |  Last update: September 10, 2025
Score: 4.2/5 (3 votes)

In 2025, a job-based health plan is considered "affordable" if your share of the monthly premium in the lowest-cost plan offered by the employer is less than 9.02% of your household income. The lowest-cost plan must also meet the minimum value standard.

How do you calculate insurance affordability?

The affordability threshold percentage changes every year. For 2025, employer-sponsored coverage is considered affordable if the employee's share of the premium for the lowest-cost plan to cover the employee only (not including the family) is not more than 9.02 percent of the employee's household income.

How is affordable HealthCare calculated?

Income, household size and affordable coverage

Under the Affordable Care Act, eligibility for subsidized health insurance is calculated using a household's Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI). You are expected to pay a premium contribution limit (a percentage of your annual income) for healthcare coverage.

What is the formula for affordability rate?

The following steps outline how to calculate the Affordability Ratio. First, determine the monthly housing costs (HC). Next, determine the monthly gross income (GI). Finally, calculate the affordability ratio using the formula AR = (HC / GI) * 100.

How to determine ACA affordability 2024?

Employer sponsored health coverage for a 2024 calendar plan year will be considered affordable if the employee required contribution for self-only coverage does not exceed 8.39% of the employee's household income for the taxable year. This is a decrease from the 2023 rate of 9.12%.

How To Find Affordable Health Insurance With HealthCare.gov

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How is affordability calculated in 2024?

The IRS announced that the 2024 health plan affordability threshold—which is used to determine if an employer's lowest-premium health plan meets the Affordable Care Act's (ACA's) affordability requirement—will be 8.39 percent of an employee's household income.

How is affordability calculated?

Mortgage affordability is based around your monthly net income and outgoings, the current rate of interest being charged by the lender and a notional rate of interest which is supposed to reflect what might happen if mortgage rates increased over a fixed period.

How to calculate the ACA affordability for 2025?

Calculating Affordability Using the FPL Safe Harbor

For most employers, the FPL safe harbor is the easiest to calculate. For 2025 calendar year plans, the FPL safe harbor is satisfied if an employee's required monthly contribution for self-only coverage doesn't exceed 9.02% of the federal poverty line divided by 12.

How is affordability determined?

The affordability test technically looks to whether that lowest possible employee contribution is within 9.02% (2025) of the employee's household income. However, the IRS recognizes that employers generally do not know the employee's household income.

What is the ACA affordability rule?

For 2025 calendar year plans, the plan is deemed affordable if its least expensive self-care option is less than 9.02%opens in a new tab of a household's income. Furthermore, employers must demonstrate that their overall company plan would cover a “minimum value” of at least 60% of expected employee medical costs.

How much should I pay for health insurance?

PREMIUMS FOR SINGLE AND FAMILY COVERAGE

The average premium for single coverage in 2024 is $8,951 per year. The average premium for family coverage is $25,572 per year [Figure 1.1].

What disqualifies you from the premium tax credit?

For tax years other than 2021 and 2022, if your household income on your tax return is more than 400 percent of the federal poverty line for your family size, you are not allowed a premium tax credit and will have to repay all of the advance credit payments made on behalf of you and your tax family members.

What is affordability in health insurance?

It describes whether a person or organization, with limited resources, is able to make a purchase without unac- ceptable or unreasonable sacrifices. Similarly, health care affordability describes whether a person or organization has sufficient income to pay for or provide for health care costs.

How to calculate insurance formula?

Premium = (Risk Factor * Sum Insured) / Coverage Period

In this formula: Risk Factor: Risk associated with the insured item or individual is usually expressed as a percentage. Sum Insured: the total amount of coverage required. Coverage Period: the duration for which the insurance coverage is valid.

What income is used to calculate ACA?

The Marketplace uses a measure of income called Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI). It isn't a line on your tax return. Your total household MAGI amount includes countable income for each person listed on your federal income tax return for the year you're getting help paying for coverage.

How much is Obamacare a month for a single person?

Monthly premiums for Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plans vary by state and can be reduced by premium tax credits. The average national monthly health insurance cost for one person on an Affordable Care Act (ACA) plan without premium tax credits in 2024 is $477.

What is the safe harbor threshold?

Estimated tax payment safe harbor details

The IRS will not charge you an underpayment penalty if: You pay at least 90% of the tax you owe for the current year, or 100% of the tax you owed for the previous tax year, or. You owe less than $1,000 in tax after subtracting withholdings and credits.

What is the affordability formula?

While you may have heard of using the 28/36 rule to calculate affordability, the correct DTI ratio that lenders will use to assess how much house you can afford is 36/43.

How do you determine affordability?

Your affordability is ultimately based on around 30% of your gross monthly income and on your disposable income. Remember that a bond affordability calculator is a useful tool to determine the maximum loan value and monthly repayment that you qualify for but is not a guarantee that you will be granted a home loan.

How do you solve affordability?

8 Innovative Affordable Housing Solutions
  1. Expanding Community Land Trusts. ...
  2. Exploring New Methods for Constructing and Producing Homes. ...
  3. Increasing Access to Home Financing. ...
  4. Advancing Cross-sector Housing Solutions. ...
  5. Transforming Underutilized Lands into Affordable Homes. ...
  6. Preserving Lower-Cost Housing. ...
  7. Role of Vouchers.

What happens if I underestimate my income for Obamacare in 2024?

For the 2024 tax year, if you underestimated your income and received a larger tax credit than you were eligible for, you must repay the difference between the amount of premium tax credit you received and the amount you were eligible for.

Is ACA based on adjusted gross income?

Under the Affordable Care Act, eligibility for income-based Medicaid and subsidized health insurance through the Marketplaces is calculated using a household's Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI).

How can I avoid paying back my premium tax credit?

Report any changes in your income during the year to the Marketplace, so your credit can be adjusted and you can avoid any significant repayments at the end of the year.