Planning for first baby and choosing health insurance while transitioning to one income – Marketplace eligibility questions

Hi all!

35YO female, FL

I am newly pregnant, expecting a baby due in May and am entering into financial planning mode. The current plan is after taking 12 weeks for maternity leave, I will return to work. My husband will quit his job (he doesn’t enjoy his job and I make significantly higher income) to stay at home with the baby for at least the first year. He is a teacher so he will be paid and receive benefits through the month of June 2025.

Despite my employer’s health insurance being reasonably priced for myself alone, the family plans are very expensive. For my preferred plan, myself + baby will cost $730/month and myself + baby + spouse is $1400/month. Yikes. I will have the option to add baby and/or spouse after I deliver since it’s a qualifying life event. Or I can add my baby immediately and perhaps add my spouse during open enrollment come 10/1 and perhaps in the meantime sign him up for a short-term healthcare plan. I realize short-term insurance is not good coverage but it appears to be significantly cheaper and he doesn’t have pre-existing conditions (unless a previous kidney stone counts?).

I realize that ACA is also an option for him – at least I think so – but I have some questions you all might be able to help me with.

In a given tax year, before baby, we make about $150,000/year. But when we apply, would we report our income for the tax year or would we subtract his income since he will be unemployed? Regardless, my understanding is that we won’t qualify for a subsidy because I make about ~$90,000/year before taxes/deductions.

Because I have the option to add him to my insurance through my employer, would we have reason to believe he might not qualify for marketplace insurance in the first place? Does anyone have insights to how this works?

Any ideas or insights would be greatly appreciated! I’m open to outside ideas as well! Because we will be down to one income for at least a year, it feels like every penny counts!