ItsNotEasyBeinCheesy

but I wouldn't be surprised if having employer coverage could affect the calculation in some way.

It does affect in. In a major way. There's no provision to include the cost of employer insurance into the system so better calculations can be made. Besides, if the end goal was for everyone to have affordable insurance, wouldn't everyone be given access to the most affordable insurance available, regardless of status, income, employer insurance, etc...?

I applied (didn't sign up, just applied) twice, once stating I had access to employer insurance, and once stating I did not have access to employer insurance. Why did I receive 2 different tax credits (a $200 difference in favor of not having access to employer insurance) and why do the plans offered vary so much (significantly better plan options without access to employer insurance compared to having access)?

You can petition all you want. I've learned one immutable, universal truth about this administration: They don't give a rat's ass about what "the people" want. You could get every single person in the country who can type or hold a pen to sign that petition, and it'll get looked at, and torn into 4"x4" squares and used like they're using the Constitution. I applaud your effort and your cause....but with these people, it's a fruitless endeavor.

Therein lies the problem. Nowhere on the website while signing up does it ask how much your employer insurance would cost you. If a household's income is $2400/month before taxes and such, and the only insurance available costs over $600.00/month, that's 25% of their income. I've filled this thing out TWICE. It does not ask these questions. It should-people might get a better deal (other than being forced to purchase something that they didn't want/need to purchase in the first place, cause hell, $600/month is enough for a new car or rent or nice chunk of a house payment, or clothes/groceries/etc...but that's a different topic for a different subreddit...).

60 hour weeks for one of the larges companies on the planet....

Can I hold a dollar?