Earlier this month The Atlantic told the story of a New York couple, Nona and Aaron, considering divorce. What was the couple’s reason for ending their marriage?

ObamaCare.

Among the countless flaws and absurdities in the president’s signature law is this: it contains a wedding tax. Because of the way ObamaCare subsidizes health insurance, many couples can save money on insurance by not getting married—or by getting divorced.

Using the New York example The Atlantic notes, “Any married couple that earns more than 400 percent of the federal poverty level—that is $62,040—for a family of two earns too much for subsidies under Obamacare.” However, “if that same couple lived together unmarried, they could earn up to $45,960 each—$91,920 total—and still be eligible for subsidies through the exchanges in New York state.”

By not getting married, a couple in New York could earn an extra $29,880 and still receive subsidies if they choose not to be married. But saying “I do,” means losing money.

By now most people know ObamaCare is kicking people off of their insurance plans and raising premiums for others. It’s resulting in smaller paychecks for workers and fewer job prospects for the unemployed. Now we also know it’s discouraging marriage.

In this tough economy people are looking everywhere for places to cut and save.  Putting off or ending a marriage should not be an attractive option.

This “wedding tax” wasn’t an accident. Anyone who took the time to do a quick calculation could’ve seen the problem, yet they pushed the law through anyway.

Marriage and the commitment it represents are building blocks of a thriving society. The federal government should not be making marriage expensive—or making divorce lucrative.

ObamaCare was sold on the premise that it would make life more stable and predictable for average Americans. But does putting off marriage or opting for divorce for economic reasons make life better? Couples shouldn’t have to choose between marriage and saving money on health insurance.

I don’t know what all this says about the motivations of the people who crafted ObamaCare in the first place. But I do know it speaks volumes about how terrible the law is, how ridiculous many of its provisions are, and how dangerous and disruptive massive legislation can be.