The chart above is Thomas Lambert’s buy/don’t buy matrix regarding Obamacare. The formula finds its basis in: family income, maximum percent of income to be spent on insurance, dollars to be spent on insurance, insurance cost as the percent of penalty, resulting in a “buy”/”don’t buy” likely decision matrix. **
**The complete essay, How the Supreme Court Doomed the ACA to Failure, The Roberts “tax” ruling undermines the new health care law by Thomas Lambert, law professor, University of Missouri. that yields the buy/don’t buy matrix, appears in the link below:
Putting the formula into its action phase, assume a family income of $75,000. You supposedly spend $7,125 on health insurance. You pay the fine and have plenty of money remaining to manage everyday medical expenses. If the year goes by and you remain healthy, which the vast majority of people do, then you are ahead of the game.
However, if disaster strikes, you merely “buy” coverage as no pre-existing condition clause can stop coverage from going into force. Once the disaster passes, you return to the “don’t buy” position.
The matrix surely has nuances and doesn’t work in every last case e.g. chronic condition. However, in the past a rough estimate put forward by pundits and talking heads was that “some people” will not buy Obamacare coverage and merely pay the fine and buy coverage when needed. That proposition may well become “most people” will not buy Obamacare coverage and merely pay the fine and buy coverage when needed. That is to say, the mere fact someone has worked out a “buy” - “don’t buy” Obamacare purchase matrix means it becomes not a “some people” rational decision not to buy, given particular parameters, it becomes a “most people” rational decision not to buy, given particular parameters.