Kitces also thinks we'll see increased use of deferred annuities as an income-management tool. For example, a 60-year-old individual earning $40,000 qualifies for a subsidy, but income from a portfolio could put her over the top.
"Let's say she has a $300,000 portfolio kicking off $10,000 a year in income, and that income puts her over the limit for a premium credit," he says. "She could put that inside a deferred annuity, deferring all that income until she turns 65 and enrolls in Medicare. At that point, she's no longer worried about the premium credits, so she can liquidate the annuity."
But separating work from health insurance opens up a wide range of work opportunities for older workers, especially those struggling with long-term unemployment ever since the Great Recession.
It will be easier for small businesses to hire workers who bring along their own insurance.(Companies with fewer than 50 employees are exempt from the ACA's employer mandate.) Consulting work, side gigs and sole practitioner startups get easier to do.
"It does create a lot of flexibility," says Kitces. "A lot of people aren't going to be dependent on employers to get health insurance anymore."
The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.