Workers and employers anxious for COBRA extension

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Writing for Kaiser Health News, Andy Miller explores the current circumstances surrounding COBRA subsidies. "Congress faces mounting pressure to decide the future of a popular but temporary health insurance subsidy program -- and not just from unemployed Americans who would benefit.

Employers are anxious, too. Some say the subsidy, which pays 65 percent of the cost of a former worker's COBRA health coverage for up to nine months, is another administrative and financial burden. But if lawmakers are going to extend it, they ought to do so soon, say executives such as Warren Salerno, employee benefits director at the Interpublic Group, an advertising and marketing company based in New York. Delays result 'in additional costs to us, and it's unfair to the ex-employee,' he says" (12/11). Read entire article.


Kaiser Health NewsThis article was reprinted from khn.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

Comments

  1. JessicaP JessicaP United States says:

    For those losing their COBRA subsidy or who are struggling to find free or low-cost healthcare services, there are many community-based programs for healthcare services you may not be aware of. I would suggest downloading a book called The Healthcare Survival Guide at www.healthcaresurvivalguide.com. This book contains tips to save money, information on free or low-cost services and more. The book is currently being offered for free as a download from the publisher’s website but it can also be found on amazon.com for $6.95.

  2. Troy Troy United States says:

    Those who lost their jobs prior to the September 1, 2008 eligibility cut-off date never received any assistance with their COBRA premiums. Many if not most of those same people are not even eligible for COBRA now because their 18 months of coverage has expired. Even those who were lucky enough to receive the subsidy in the first place are starting to loose their coverage and are joining the estimated 50 million uninsured.

    According to a Harvard study, uninsured adults are 80% more likely to die from a traumatic injury than those who have insurance. Currently their are two bills working their way through congress that may offer some relief.

The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of News Medical.
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