The family glitch was a problem created by a 2013 IRS ACA interpretation ruling that if an employee was offered “affordable” (less than ~9.1% of annual income) coverage for themself, their spouse and dependents could not receive subsidies by enrolling in an individual ACA plan on the marketplace. Because many employers do not contribute to the monthly premiums of their employees’ family members, family members had to choose between paying full premiums that they could not afford or going uninsured. As of December 12, 2022, this “affordability” standard will only apply to the individual employee, so family members now have the option to enroll in a separate marketplace plan.