Affordable Care Act Rationally Viewed

I've studied the California marketplace for the ACA. My base health insurance costs (including copays) will decline a little, maybe $100 a month, but, and this is a huge but, factoring in the premium assistance tax credit, my insurance cost will be half what it was this year.

Now, when Republicans talk about defunding Obamacare they are talking about axing the tax credit which will amount to a massive middle-class tax increase. Democrats are missing the issue here. By trying to kill Obamacare, Republicans are trying to hike taxes on the middle-class by thousands of dollars a year. Suffering the most under the Republican plan will be families with children earning under $60,000 a year.

It is important to note, the tax credit is applied to the insurance premium, not the tax bill. So even someone who pays no income tax will receive full value of the tax credit. I'm totally surprised Democrats aren't publicizing the hell out of this simple fact.