COBRA Subsidy Extension

[Guest rbk08]

Hi all,

As I'm sure you all know, the COBRA subsidy ended on May 31, 2010. We have employees who really need this subsidy to help them manage the cost of healthcare after termination. (We are a school and those employees are not actually terminated until August 31, 2010).

I am hoping that Congress will extend the subsidy again so that our former employees get some assistance with the high cost of health care.

Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions about whether the subsidy will be extended again? Also, have any of you thought of writing to the powers-that-be to express the value of the subsidy?

Many thanks for your thoughts,

~R

[masteff]

A quick search of Google News shows that Congress is slowing down on the subsidy and may not get enough support to continue it. So... don't count on it until it actually happens.

Keep in mind that the subsidy wasn't in use before the worst of the recession and as the recession passes, so too will government-provided benefits like this. In the grander scheme of things, the subsidy is an anti-recession measure, not an unemployment measure.

[Guest Benefits Broker CO]

Based on what I've read over the last couple of weeks, the consensus seems to be that Congress will not extend the subsidy eligibility past the end of May and that it is over for anyone involuntarily losing coverag on or after June 1, 2010. I don't think it's even in any bills currently being considered.

[jpod]

I consider myself to be open-minded (dare I use the "L" word) politically and socially. However, we had COBRA for about 23 years without any government subsidy. While I think it was a good thing to do during the worst of the economic catastrophe, I say "enough already."