U.S. Congress - H.R.3930 Extended COBRA Continuation Protection Act of 2009
H.R.3930 - Extended COBRA Continuation Protection Act of 2009
To extend for 6 months the maximum COBRA continuation coverage period for individuals who were involuntarily terminated between April 1, 2009, and December 31, 2009, and to amend the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 to extend the eligibility period and maximum assistance period for COBRA premium assistance under such Act. view all titles (2)
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- Official: To extend for 6 months the maximum COBRA continuation coverage period for individuals who were involuntarily terminated between April 1, 2009, and December 31, 2009, and to amend the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 to extend the eligibility period and maximum assistance period for COBRA premium assistance under such Act. as introduced.
- Short: Extended COBRA Continuation Protection Act of 2009 as introduced.
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Displaying 1-30 of 47 total comments.
I read the text of the bill H.R. 3930, which I praise the Congressman highly for introducing, but it contains an inconsistency between the summary and the text:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.3930:
The summary says the start date is April 1, 2009, but the body in Section 2 says April 1, 2008. The difference will affect millions of families. Will the bill cover April 1, 2008 to December 31, 2009 or just from this April to the end of the year?
I noticed that too. Further on it does say that the bill is intended to go into effect as if it had been part of the original ARRA act, so I’m hoping it means another six months of grace for those of us laid off during the original eligibility period. It might be worth trying to contact Rep. Sestak’s office to find out more.
Thank you for introducing this bill. The Cobra subsidy has been a Godsend.
The subsidy has allowed me to afford my medication, without which I wouldn’t even be able to look for work. Being unemployed in this economy has been a huge challenge, but at least I didn’t need to worry about medical coverage. I pray I can find work before the 9 months are up, but if not it’d be good to know an extension is available.
For the last 9 months, I have been able to afford Cobra at 1/3 the cost. Come December, my coverage will cost $555/month going forward. The cost increased $78/month a couple months ago, a 16% increase!
To further complicate the matter, I have to make my insurance elections for next year, post marked by November 20, 2009. My dilemma is whether to keep my same coverage or decrease coverage, so that I can afford the full Cobra cost.
In addition, I have a heart condition, thus making it imperative that I do something about it. I have been under care all year and I am scheduled for a procedure on November 23, 2009, that requires hospitalization. If this can’t be done by the end of the year, then I need my full insurance coverage for next year.
So, you see, my decision for next year is a critical one. Unfortunately, I’m out of time in making that decision. So, I ask you to not lose sight of the Cobra subsidy extension. Please put it as a PRIORITY THIS MONTH! Thanks you.
I’m paying $510/month with the 65% subsidy! So when this ends I’m back to paying $1457/month. I asked my company HR person why our policy was so expensive. It is because most of the workers in our company are older. Do you understand now why many companies lay off older workers?
Lets put this in perspective: The federal minimum wage is $7.25/HR, $15,080/YR. My COBRA would be $17,484/YR. Oh, did I mention my carrier is UHC?
Similar here – next month covering my family goes back to $1600+/month. UHC here as well.
Same here. My next bill triples, from 500/month to $1500/month for family coverage. This bill says only people laid off between April 1, 2009 and Dec 31 2009 are eligible but as impure science pointed out, “further on it does say that the bill is intended to go into effect as if it had been part of the original ARRA act, so I’m hoping it means another six months of grace for those of us laid off during the original eligibility period. It might be worth trying to contact Rep. Sestak’s office to find out more.”
Yes definitely worth contacting him. I was laid off March 13 and am not sure if this bill would apply to me or not. This scares me. The senate bill 2730 does not limit the change to those laid off on or after April 1, 2009!
Never mind. Got my answer here:
http://www.sestak.house.gov/list/press/pa07_sestak/091023_WorkerEmergencyCare.shtml
Looks like i will be included if the bill passes.
Our time is running out FAST! I have been contacting Local and State officials whom are there to Represent “WE THE PEOPLE”. If not passed, our loss will be phenomenal. I too have UHC and am older with few options of pursuing other coverage due to “pre-excisting condition”. As of 12/01/09, the cost will go up to $1100.00. Seriously, who can afford this? Choices will need to be made to go without coverage and needed medications. Does anyone have advice they can share with us to encourage the passing of H.R. 3930? I would like to THANK Congressman Sestak for introducing this bill as this Cobra subsidy has been a blessing for many people. We are trying REAL HARD to continue to get and pay for this short term coverage at an affordable cost..PLEASE HELP US!!
Full price COBRA is a bad joke if you’re unemployed, I know from first-hand experience, but if you can possibly do it, stay with COBRA as long as you can – it’s generally a better deal than trying to get nongroup insurance elsewhere. If you can afford to make a full payment or two, once the bill is passed you would get a credit for the overpayment.
Please help us!
I am pleading for this bill to pass. Like many who have written before, I am currently paying $450, but that will change to $1250 (my husband and my infant son, and me). In Florida, the max unemployment benefits are only $275/week = $1100 (before taxes). Overall, the outrageous COBRA premiums and the poverty level unemployment benefits need to both be changed. However, if the subsidy can at least be extended, it would save many of us from going into unrecoverable hardship. Thank you kindly for your consideration!
6 business days before EOM. Please get 3930 signed and correct the text to read appropriately, “between April 1, 2008 and December 2009.”
Most of the people that the COBRA extention and 65% subsidy helped, were all laid off in 2008, there are 20,000,000 unemployed Americans! Unemployment just rose to 12.5% in my home state of CA, largest percentage since 1983.
3930 will allow Americans to keep their healthcare, and still be able to keep their houses and feed their children. Without 3930 people will give up healthcare so they don’t lose their home and starve! We are talking payments of $300.00 or $1300.00 If it wasn’t for the extention and the subsidy COBRA would have sucked an additional $14000.00 out of our family bank account in 2009. I have been unemployed since December of 2008, just about 12 months now.
Please get this signed before the end of the month!
Thank you!
I am pleading for this bill to pass. Like many who have written before, I am currently paying $153, but that will change to $450 Overall, the outrageous COBRA premiums and the poverty level unemployment benefits need to both be changed. However, if the subsidy can at least be extended, it would save many of us from going into unrecoverable hardship. Thank you kindly for your consideration!
Jamie E Kelly
Please let 3930 pass soon!
Please call these numbers and voice your support for 3930. I myself have called all of them as well as called and emailed President Obama, Sen. Boxer, Sen. Feinstien and Speaker Pelosi asking them all to get his signed!
I cannot say exactly when Congress will act on this bill. I am hopeful that it will be very soon, but I encourage you to call the Chairman of the three committees of jurisdiction: Chairman Rangel (Ways and Means), (202) 225-3625; Chairman Miller (Education and Labor), (202) 225-3725; and Chairman Waxman (Energy and Commerce), (202) 225-2927 and voice your support.
We need to get this passed. I just mailed in an $1100.00 check for 1 month of COBRA. I was paying about $300.00 every month the last 9 months.
Let our Government give a helping hand to us, the Americans that are suffering through this Economic Crisis. Get out of Afghanistan and put some of that money to use on us, extend COBRA and get some jobs created NOW!
I am not sure what this bill is going to do. I was laid off 1/08/09 and my COBRA subsidy ran out on 12/1/09 would this extend the 65%?
YES, that is listed in the bill plus asking to extend the amount of months that we can keep our cobra! Please everyone, do as GlennR above suggests and get ahold of those people he listed. I have, and they NEED to hear our voice’s. Plus don’t forget your local, & state, ELECTED officials. Thank you all!
we have So much to lose!!!
As far as I can see its in the air at 65% or maybe 75%, but it will change as it gets closer to the vote.
Please get this passed! I have been unemployed since March, and will see my COBRA healthcare costs go from $440 on a subsidized basis, to OVER $1,300 per month!!
I am uninsurable in the individual market, and this is my only option to keep my family covered. Please pass it NOW!
My COBRA payment is $1800/mo.
I understand that the COBRA extension and subsidy are part of the omnibus bill that will possibly/likely be passed by the end of the year. The President did say last week that this extension should definitely be part of the legislation, which lends administration support to a bill that was already very likely to pass.
Does anyone know where to go to find out the progress on this bill? I cannot seem to d=find any info as to if it is being debated or not…My new Cobra bill is $1785 a month…No way I can pay that for more than a few months at best…
wow! how can you pay it at all. Are you on unemployment?? never heard of that high a premium.. well to answer your question is when you sign on to this site it reads congress getting down to work on the defense bill, they also say however may some difficult issues due to the dems. wanting to roll several programs into it which may have some difficult issues. Then it mentions examples like unemployment and cobra. then it mentions the raising the debt ceiling and other jobs bill and pay/go bill what ever that is!!! . I hope the unemployment part isn’t that big of an issue but I am sure the debt ceiling and
the jobs,pay/go. are sticky points. I would hope they could pass sections of it and like unemployment and hassle over the other issues another day. If the extension bill isn’t passed I’ll have to send my creditors I.0.U.‘s like california did. It worked for them!!!Maybe if things don’t get straightened out like jobs, unemployment and UI benefits thats what we all should do!
We are a family of five, that until February of this year counted on the job of my wife to provide health care coverage for all of us (I am a micro-business owner). Unfortunately she lost her job at ING Financial Advisors, and since then; regardless that she is a qualified professional, capable, able and willing to work; she hasn’t been able to find a new job.
Until last month we enjoyed the COBRA Benefits extension passed under ARRA, but now, that we exhausted the term of the subsidy, our COBRA premiums jumped from $500 to $1,500, and that consumes all the Unemployment Benefits that have been so wisely extended by Congress. We hereby respectfully request from all of you to forward the bill ASAP to the full Senate. Our well being, and of all those that find themselves in this unfortunate circumstances, is at stake. Of all the many issues under our concern, this is the one of outmost priority.
Just a point about it, you need to make it to include those that before April 2009 lost their jobs. The economic downturn started way before then.
I contacted his office last week and he wrote back to me today that the correction will be made; it will read April 1, 2008 once it goes into legislation. Just and FYI. I encourage you to call the Chairman of the three committees of jurisdiction: Chairman Rangel (Ways and Means), (202) 225-3625; Chairman Miller (Education and Labor), (202) 225-3725; and Chairman Waxman (Energy and Commerce), (202) 225-2927 and voice your support.
OH MY!! Just read a response(in the mail) to one of the MANY representatives I have contacted about HR 3930. The letter states it appreciates hearing from me, then it goes on to state: "You should know that health care reform legislation offered by the House Democrat leadership, the Affordable Health Care for America Act(H.R.3962), would allow individuals to keep their COBRA coverage until a federalHealth Insurance Exchange is up and running. On Nov. 7.2009, this legislation passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 220 to 215. It also states " I voted against this legislation and continue to oppose a government takeover of our nation’s health care system".
So, if I understand this correctly, H.R.3930 is tied into the overall complete healthcare package. Geez!! I’m still NOT going to give up. We had to send in a check for $1250.00 For Dec. As many others out here, our coverage was through my employment, now with being unemployed and considered uninsurable. We need H.R.3930!