COBRA Subsidies For Laid-Off Workers End Today
With the end of this benefit, considered one of the key elements of the federal stimulus package, many are concerned about how unemployed people will now afford these costs.
The News Journal (Delaware): COBRA Subsidy Expires Today
A program that has helped millions of Americans keep their health insurance is set to expire today. The federal COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) subsidy program covered 65 percent of the monthly premiums for people who lost jobs that contained group health insurance plans. Originally provided through the stimulus bill known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the program helped extend health insurance coverage for people who lost their jobs between September 2008 and May 2010. An extension passed in December 2009 allowed laid-off individuals to continue receiving the subsidy for up to 15 months. Nearly all of those eligible will see that benefit end after today (Ratnayake, 8/31).
Kaiser Health News: Federal COBRA Insurance Subsidies End For Laid-Off Workers
One of the key consumer benefits of the federal stimulus package – subsidies to help laid-off workers continue their health care coverage – draws to a close Wednesday, raising concerns about how the unemployed will cover those expenses" (Galewitz, 8/31).
