Government's program to help the unemployed retain their healthcare covers, COBRA, was designed to expire after 18 months of its starting date. For those who have enjoyed the benefits, under which the workers can keep their employer sponsored health insurance with the Government covering a substantial part of the monthly premium, since March 2008, it has already run out, and now more and more people are facing the situation everyday.
The authorities have now been urged by many groups to extend the deadline, as after the benefit closes for everyone, over a million Americans would struggle to keep their medical covers.
It has been estimated that on an average, once the scheme expires, unemployed families would see their premium payments surge between $389 to $1,111 a month, as per the Families USA report released last week, and this amounts to about 83% of the regular unemployment check awarded each month.
COBRA stands for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, and has helped many unemployed workers retain their medical insurance in these difficult times.
The Government is now looking at consolidated figures and studying the impact of the withdrawal of the scheme in order to talk over an extension.
