Reply #21: From the article: [View All]

"Households that move into an income bracket of 300 to 400 percent above the federal poverty line would have to pay up to $2,500 back to the IRS. For those that move into the range of 200 to 300 percent above poverty, that cap is $1,500. For those who move into the 100 to 200 percent range, it is $600. Those who move above the 400 percent range, which is the limit for qualifying for a subsidy in the first place, coule face a payback even higher than $2,500."

A chart:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_the_United_States#Recent_poverty_rate_and_guidelines

I'll use a single person in the 48 for the simplest explanations.

If you were a single person making $10,890 a year, got subsidies, and the next year, you made $43,560, you would have to pay up to $2,500 for the prior year's subsidies.

If you were making $10,890 a year, got subsidies, and made $21,690 the next year, you would have to pay $600.

If you make over $43,560, you can't get the subsidies, or the penalties.