KWCH - Kansas News and Weather - Time Running Out For COBRA Subsidies

Time Running Out For COBRA Subsidies

(By Megan Strader)

Today marks nine months since the first round of laid off workers began benefiting from the federally sponsored program paying for 65% of COBRA health premiums.

But since workers can only use the program for nine months, today also marks the first day many Americans will lose the help.

The subsidies were part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed into law on February 17, 2009.

Congress is currently working on an extension for the COBRA subsidies but nothing has been decided. Those workers losing the assistance will now have to pay three times what they were just to maintain health insurance.

Laid off workers are still eligible to receive the help through December 31. The only people losing the benefit today are those who started getting help immediately after the act was signed into law, since it allowed people laid off in September of 2008 to be eligible.