Short answer: If the HRA offer is “affordable,” it blocks the premium tax credit: the employee takes the HRA instead. If it’s unaffordable, the employee may opt out and keep the PTC. A QSEHRA also reduces the PTC dollar-for-dollar, while an ICHRA is all-or-nothing.
Both ICHRAs and QSEHRAs interact with the Affordable Care Act premium tax credit (PTC), but the mechanics differ.
ICHRA. If the ICHRA allowance makes the employee’s coverage “affordable” (measured as the lowest-cost silver plan in the employee’s rating area minus the allowance, compared to 9.96% of household income for 2026) the employee is not eligible for a PTC and must use the ICHRA. If the ICHRA is unaffordable, the employee may decline it and claim the PTC instead, but it is all-or-nothing: they cannot take both. Employees get an annual opportunity to opt out.
QSEHRA. A QSEHRA reduces the PTC dollar-for-dollar unless it is “affordable” (measured against the second-lowest-cost silver plan, the PTC benchmark), in which case it eliminates the PTC entirely. So ICHRA uses the lowest-cost silver plan while QSEHRA uses the second-lowest.
One important 2026 development: the enhanced premium tax credits expired at the end of 2025, restoring the income cliff above 400% of the federal poverty line. For higher-income employees who no longer qualify for a subsidy anyway, the old objection that “an HRA blocks my subsidy” often no longer applies, which has made ICHRA and QSEHRA more attractive.
Sources
- IRS ICHRA affordability rules; Rev. Proc. 2025-25 (2026 affordability percentage 9.96%).
- IRC §9831(d) (QSEHRA); IRS Notice 2017-67.
Content history
Originally published: June 16, 2026
Last reviewed: June 16, 2026