Broad Coalition Urges COBRA Subsidies, Applauds New Bill
The COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic crisis have led to steep losses in the number of people with health insurance, and lawmakers should take swift action to provide temporary funding to bolster COBRA so that people can remain on their employer-sponsored plans, says a coalition that includes business groups, employer organizations, insurers and consumer groups.
The coalition, the Alliance to Fight for Health Care, released a report on Sept. 22 indicating that nearly 7.5 million Americans enrolled in commercial health insurance lost their coverage in April and May. This number, which is based on two surveys conducted by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), is expected to rise substantially by the end of 2020, as layoffs continue to outpace new job openings and temporary job losses turn permanent.
