The extension of the 65 percent federal subsidy was part of the same bill that extended the Medicare physician fee fix for the rest of the month, called the Temporary Extension Act of 2010.
Eligibility had expired for workers terminated after Feb. 28, but the law is retroactive, allowing anyone who was involuntarily terminated on March 1 or 2 to receive the COBRA subsidy, the report stated.
The Labor Department predicted that 500,000 workers who lose their jobs would have been ineligible for the subsidies during March if coverage had not been extended.
Another bill, the American Workers, State and Business Relief Act, introduced by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), would further extend the COBRA subsidy through the end of the year.
Read New York Labor Law & Employment Report’s report on COBRA health insurance.
