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Cobra Subsidies: A Compelling Narrative Of Policy Impact On The Unemployed, Uninsured, Hannah N. Gregg
Cobra Subsidies: A Compelling Narrative Of Policy Impact On The Unemployed, Uninsured, Hannah N. Gregg
CMC Senior Theses
This paper analyzes a 2009 U.S. policy which provided short term federal subsidies for COBRA health insurance premiums. COBRA allows the recently unemployed to continue purchasing health insurance through their employment-based insurance plan for a short time period after they become unemployed. Early analysis found low take-up rates for COBRA insurance due to the exceedingly high cost of full health insurance premiums, especially for those who have just lost a steady employment income. A short term 65 percent federal subsidy for COBRA insurance was implemented as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009. Subsidy policy proposed …