MIAMI — Federal officials have capped the amount of money scofflaws will have pay if they don’t buy insurance this year at $2,448 per person and $12,240 for a family of five.
The amount is equal to the national average annual premium for a bronze level health plan.
The penalty starts at $95 per adult or $47.50 per child under 18, and it can rise to as much as 1 percent of annual household income. The latest figure limits what the government can charge people using the income computation for the fine, which is due when people file their 2014 taxes.
The figures, released Thursday, are important because the White House has only provided theoretical caps in the past. Conservative lawmakers and groups that are critical of the Affordable Care Act encouraged consumers to skip buying insurance, arguing it would be cheaper to pay a $95 penalty, but often failed to mention the 1 percent clause.
Federal researchers predict that about 4 million people, including dependents, could be hit with fines by 2016.
