Man Without Health Insurance Sues State Over $2K Fine

The Boston Herald reports that Michael Merlina, a 29-year-old glazier from North Reading who says he can't afford health insurance, has sued the Massachusetts Health Insurance Connector Authority for slapping him with a $2,000 fine.

Merlina apparently doesn't qualify for subsidized health care but earns too little to afford a plan for himself and his wife, which would cost about $800 a month, The Herald says.

Reporter Christine McConville writes:

Connector spokesman Dick Powers said Merlina is among the 2,500 people who appealed this year’s fine. About half of those appeals were upheld but mostly for people who had lost their homes to foreclosure, suffered through the death of a spouse or had been a domestic violence victim.

For a working guy like Merlina, it seems there’s no relief in sight.