Question about new healthcare bill...

[baby-makes-3]

Not sure where to post this, so please move if appropriate, but I noticed this on CNN's Highlights of the new Healthcare Bill:

• New health insurance subsidies would be provided to families of four making up to $88,000 annually, or 400 percent of the federal poverty level.

My question is: what is the reasoning behind it being a family of 4? Is it just the cutoff number they came up with? Or does having a second child catapult you into another stratosphere of expenses?

My husband heard on NPR that one of the most overlooked group in the new bill would be the married couple with a single child....basically, us .

[MCR]

Family of four is only used as an average, they will adjust the numbers based on whether you have 1 or 10 children accordingly.

[mamadelbosque]

Yeah its used as an average - 400% of the fpl varies by size of family. Since the average family in the us is 4 people, thats what they use. But, you can look up the fpl for a family of 3 and multiply it by 4 to get the max income for family of 3. You are not being overlooked!!

[baby-makes-3]

Oh okay -- that makes sense -- I don't follow the news very closely so didn't know the details....

[ssh]

400% of poverty level for a family of 3 is 6,103.33 per month or 73,240.00 per year based on 2009 poverty level guidelines.