COBRA- ARRA

[Guest motor]

Im trying to get a definative answer to what seems would be a very common circumstance. If a person has a qualifing event date of 11/30/07.The person has been on COBRA from the qualifing event date of 11/30/07. COBRA end date is 5/31/2009.

NOW...is this person eligable for the federal subsidy? Most everything I read is refering to the Sept. 1, 2008 mark. Everything refers to AEI's AFTER 9/1/08 and before 12/31/09. Where does this leave the people who would meet the guidelines but have a qualifing date before 9/1/08? Are they not eligable for this? Is it just so blantantly obvious that of course those people are eligable that they dont feel the need to elaborate?

Thanks

[Guest taylorjeff]

Here's a quote from the United Healthcare writeup I received last week.

The subsidy is available to individuals (and their dependents) who were involuntarily terminated from their employment and became eligible for COBRA beginning September 1, 2008 through December 31, 2009. Persons who elected prior to the enactment of the Act (but on or after September 1, 2008) will be eligible to receive the subsidy prospectively from the date of enactment through the maximum nine-month period.

The UHC writeup reflects everything else I've read that the COBRA eligibility date has to occur on or after Sept. 1, 2008.

Im trying to get a definative answer to what seems would be a very common circumstance. If a person has a qualifing event date of 11/30/07.The person has been on COBRA from the qualifing event date of 11/30/07. COBRA end date is 5/31/2009.

NOW...is this person eligable for the federal subsidy? Most everything I read is refering to the Sept. 1, 2008 mark. Everything refers to AEI's AFTER 9/1/08 and before 12/31/09. Where does this leave the people who would meet the guidelines but have a qualifing date before 9/1/08? Are they not eligable for this? Is it just so blantantly obvious that of course those people are eligable that they dont feel the need to elaborate?

Thanks

[Chaz]

I agree. The person would have to had lost coverage due to an involuntary termination of employment that occurred on or after September 1, 2008 (and by December 31, 2009) to be eligible for the subsidy.

[jpod]

The answer to "Why September 1?" can be divined by remembering what September was like.

[Guest Sieve]

Motor -- So, the answer to your question "Where does this leave the people who would meet the guidelines but have a qualifying date before 9/1/08?", is that it leaves them outside the provisions of the new law.

[Guest motor]

Motor -- So, the answer to your question "Where does this leave the people who would meet the guidelines but have a qualifying date before 9/1/08?", is that it leaves them outside the provisions of the new law.

Well hey thanks...thanks for all the replies. It seems very unfair. One would think that they would have written the law to include these folks. As long as they meet the involuntary termination......I really don't see any differance (besides the debt to the feds). I can understand the voluntary, excluding divorce, loss of dependent status, ect, they have to draw the line somewhere and they certainly shouldn't extend a hand to folks that jumped by their own accord. That would be irresponsible and sending the wrong message. However, the people who fit the requirements but just had the hammer fall a month(or whatever) earlier are left out in the cold? My guy that I have here has what...? 3 months left before meeting the max. 18 months. He would be the A1 example of being eligible if his qualifing event date was 9/1/08 instead of 11/30/07? Why not help him out for the time he has left?

Seems to me these folks are all on the same train, same track, just a differant car.

Thanks again.