Health care overhaul discourages marriage at poverty levels

The government discriminates against poor married couples.

Health care affordability credits are sensitive to poverty line income:

- For a one-person family, the poverty line is $10,830

- For a two-person family, the poverty line is $14,570

Two people earning $10, 830 would make $21,660.

If they are married, they are well above the $14,570 poverty line cutoff. They would lose any affordability credits. As mandated insurance gets more expensive, affordability credits get more valuable.

Why would the government purposely legislate penalties for being married when the income of the people would be the same?