COBRA and Cal-COBRA are laws that let people keep their health coverage after losing their jobs under certain circumstances. People keep coverage by paying the entire cost of their premiums, including what their employer used to pay. These premiums can be very high, making the programs financially out of reach for many people. In March of 2009, the federal and California governments passed laws that drastically decrease COBRA and Cal-COBRA premiums for people who recently lost their jobs.
The premium reductions are for people who have involuntarily lost their jobs between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009. People who qualify only have to pay 35% of their COBRA or Cal-COBRA premiums. That means that someone who would normally pay $400 a month for health coverage through COBRA could get the same coverage for $140.
The reductions are for COBRA or Cal-COBRA coverage that started after February 16, 2009. It lasts for a maximum of 9 months. The U.S. Department of Labor has an excellent website
that gives all of the details about the premium reduction. You can get the information in alternate formats by calling 202-693-8664 (Voice); 202-501-3911 (TTY).
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