Provide health care to the newly unemployed
As part of the economic recovery package, please provide COBRAÂ subsidies to unemployed workers.Â
Thanks to the economic crisis, there are currently over 11 million unemployed. Many of these people lost not only their job, but their employer sponsored health insurance. Some Americans have the option of buying COBRA -- but even that is unaffordable because it takes up a disproportionate amount of unemployment benefits. Nationally, unemployed workers would need to spend nearly 84 percent of their unemploymnet insurance benefit, on average, to pay for family coverage. If people don't take up COBRA, they are forced into the unregulated private market where many will likely be denied based on pre-existing conditions. This catch-22 has forced newly unemployed into a difficult position that no American should have to face.Â
COBRAÂ subsidies as part of the economic recovery package would help the recently unemployed get health care, so they are not forced into the private market or into greater financial debt because of medical bills. Losing economic security should not mean losing health care security.Â