Aug 24 2010
Business Insurance: "The once politically popular program that provides COBRA premium subsidies for involuntarily terminated employees is winding down as broad congressional support has nearly vanished, experts say. Embedded in a 2009 economic stimulus measure and renewed several times since then, the program in which the federal government pays 65% of the COBRA premium has enabled millions of employees who lost their jobs and their dependents to keep group coverage by making it more affordable." The subsidy's most recent extension expired May 31, "with employees laid off since then no longer eligible" for it. "With congressional concerns mounting about the soaring federal budget deficit, it is highly unlikely lawmakers will approve another extension" (Geisel, 8/23).
In a separate piece, Business Insurance reports on major events in the federal COBRA premium subsidy law starting Feb. 2009 and going through June 2010 (8/23).
Related, earlier KHN stories:
Health Insurance Costs Rise Sharply For Unemployed As COBRA Subsidy Ends (Villegas and Galewitz, 8/18)
Dems 1 For 2 On Health Subsidies: House Poised To Vote On Extra Medicaid Funds But COBRA Help Likely Gone For Good (Villegas, 8/9)
 This 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.
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