How long will cobra subsidy last

COBRA premiums are often higher than what you paid before, since your employer no longer pays any part. If you're eligible for assistance under the American Rescue Plan, the government would cover all your premiums i.

NOTE: You are not eligible for the premium assistance if you are eligible for other group health coverage for example, through a new employer or spouse or Medicare. Once processed, the premium will be reimbursed directly to your employer and you will continue to have access to your health insurance at no cost to you through September 30 Your premium assistance can last from April 1, through Sept.

The premium assistance will go directly to your employer, plan administrator or insurance company -- but you'll know you're getting the assistance because you won't receive a monthly bill for the premiums. Ask your health plan if you're eligible for the premium assistance and new election opportunity. If you're eligible, you should be able to sign up now and get premium assistance. Learn more. The American Rescue Plan increased eligibility for tax credits that may lower or eliminate your premium for Health Insurance Marketplace coverage.

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It helps us understand the number of visitors, where the visitors are coming from, and the pages they navigate. The cookies collect this data and are reported anonymously. Duration for Covered Employees Employees are eligible for 18 months of continued coverage under COBRA if the qualifying event stems from reduction of hours or termination of employment for reasons other than gross misconduct.

Duration for Other Qualified Beneficiaries The above durations for employees also apply to other qualified beneficiaries — specifically, spouses and dependent children. Special Considerations. You must give the participant a grace period of at least 30 days to make late payments. The participant gains coverage under another plan. The participant is no longer deemed disabled by the SSA.

Webinar: ACA Filing What about TriCare? Resources Free Webinars Regulations Blog. COBRA, or the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, typically allows people who leave a company with 20 or more employees to stay on their workplace insurance plan if they can pay both their part of the premium and the share their employer was formerly paying.

Of course, many newly unemployed people can't afford to do so, but this provision in the stimulus package is aimed at changing that by slashing people's monthly insurance premiums entirely for six months.

But when Linda emailed her previous insurer in April asking if she was free to go to the doctor for treatment of her infection, she was surprised to be told that the government subsidy isn't available yet.

She's also had to stop taking her medication for anxiety and depression because of its cost. Health-care advocates are worried that many other people may be running into similar issues trying to access the temporary COBRA subsidy, which the U. Department of Labor has said began on April 1. Getting the new system up and running will take coordination between multiple government agencies, companies and insurers.

Meanwhile, employers don't even have to notify those who could be eligible until the end of May. The good news is that even if you can't sign up for a few weeks or months because of operational delays, if you qualify for the COBRA subsidy, any eligible claims racked up after April 1 and before the end of September should be covered, experts say.

Save all your medical records during this period, said Caitlin Donovan , a spokeswoman for the Patient Advocate Foundation, a nonprofit that helps patients access and pay for health care. Doing so will make it easier for you to submit any claims or bills to your insurer once the subsidy kicks in, or to get reimbursed for any expenses you laid out and that qualify for coverage.

If you're worried about upfront costs, try to explain to your doctors that you're waiting for your COBRA coverage to kick in, and ask if they can wait to bill your insurer, experts say. You'll be eligible if you involuntarily left a job that offered health insurance and you do not qualify for another employer plan or Medicare, Donovan said. Any family members on your plan would also be fully covered.

If you still have your job, but your hours have been cut to the point where you lost access to your company's health insurance plan, you may also qualify for the six-month subsidy. You should receive written notification of your eligibility, likely from your employer or health insurance company. If you haven't heard anything, reach out to your former insurer.

You could still be on the hook for any copays and deductibles.