California Health Insurance Exemption on employer Health Plan 2020

[taxn1]

One of the California Health Insurance Exemptions are:

"Health coverage is considered unaffordable (exceeded 8.24% of household income for the 2020 taxable year)"

I have good health insurance through my work, but my spouse has no insurance (filing jointly).

The only health plan through my work that is under that threshold to include my spouse is a HDHP.  I am middle aged and tried a HDHP before and it left me lacking coverage after an accident and I do not feel comfortable moving down to a HDHP to include my spouse on my insurance.  All of the other plans  are above the 8.24% threshold.

Would a HDHP being offered from my employer disqualify us from the Exemption from California's penalty for my wife not having insurance?

[BillM223]

Hard for us to say.

"Coverage is considered unaffordable if the individual’s required contribution is more than 8.24% of applicable household income.

Use the Affordability Worksheet on page 10 to determine whether this coverage exemption applies to you or another member of your applicable household for one or more months of the year. "

You will need to get a copy of the Instructions for form 3853 and fill out that worksheet. Off the top of my head, I would guess that since she has access to your HDHP policy, that she would not qualify; however, I don't know how California calculates her "required contribution".