 [ Symptoms ] what if one spouse receives employer sponsored health insurance and the other receives insurance through the exchange  will the spouse receiving insurance through the exchange be eligible for a subsidy based upon their individual income or will it be based on joint income if they file a joint irs return [ Disease ] well to be honest this is a question that can only be answered by your doctor there are so many factors that go into whether or not a hernia requires surgery that it is a highly individualized situation  hernia  is a term that refers to a condition in which fatty tissue or organs protrude through a weak spot in the muscles of the abdomen in men especially there is a naturally weak spot in the groin where the spermatic cord passes from the scrotum into the abdomen because of the natural muscle weakness in this area men are at risk of inadvertently pushing organs often the bowel wall into the inguinal canal through heavy lifting contact sports and other activities that place a lot of stress on that area as you pointed out many small hernias do not require treatment but this depends on where the hernia is located and how severe it is if your doctor recommends surgery you should listen carefully even a small hernia can require repair if it involves a piece of bowel or bladder tissue tissue trapped in a hernia can die and this can have severe health consequences so do not think just because a doctor referred to a hernia as small that this alone determines whether or not it requires treatment in the meantime you might ask your doctor if you should avoid heavy lifting or contact sports as these can make the hernia worse wishing you well