Federal subsidies that help laid-off worker pay for their COBRA health insurance coverage ended this week for millions of Americans who signed up when the subsidies began in March. The COBRA program lets former employees continue the health coverage they had with their former employer. The federal subsidy pays up to 65 percent of an individual's or family's premiums, but expires after nine months.
After about a year of unemployment I started my new job last month. I was receiving the Government's COBRA continuation assistance and very glad of it. With a chronic condition like Crohn's the last thing you want to do is have any lapse in insurance coverage. The government was paying 60% of our COBRA costs, so our family of 4 was paying under $350.
Now thankfully I have coverage through my new (wonderful) employer. But I cannot help but feel for people whose COBRA subsidization is ending this week. What will they do? Will they have to join the ranks of the un-insured? Will they have to risk being hit with pre-existing condition loopholes when they do find their next job?
My friend's father died last week from a heart attack. He was uninsured because he could not afford health insurance. I cannot help but wonder if his lack of insurance could have had an impact on his general health - if he had been able to get to all his routine checkups, etc.
The lack of affordable health insurance in the United States is an absolute shame and untenable situation. If we could take 20% of the money we have spent on military action in the last 9 years and spend that on health care reform and specifically universal health insurance this country would look a lot more like the greatest country on Earth that I know it is.
/end rant
