One of the documents allowed under Obamacare that verifies a hardship exemption to the penalty is a shut-off notice from a utility company.
Wait to pay your bill until the electric company sends you a shut-off notice and you have verification of hardship that creates an exemption.
That’s much easier than trying to sue the government over conflicting visions of its own law - you wouldn’t win on that point anyway. The clear intent of the law, supported by Chief Roberts, allows for such a penalty.
bttt
The law ACA simply states either buy insurance or pay the penalty. Nothing less nothing more. Everything in the middle of that is about the insurance you choose to buy.
Then there are exemptions and you named one of them. Another is that if the bronze plan on the exchange is greater than 8% of your income you are exempt.
People really need to get educated about the ACA.