COBRA Subsidies Update

September 6, 2011

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, initially signed on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, provided a 65 percent federal subsidy of COBRA premiums from Sept. 1, 2008, to Dec. 31, 2009, for involuntarily terminated employees, subject to certain income limits. The last extension of eligibility for the COBRA subsidy ended on May 31, 2010, and the maximum period for COBRA subsidies is 15 months. Therefore, August 31, 2011, marked the end of COBRA subsidies in most cases.

If you have lost your COBRA subsidies, check around with various healthcare insurers. For instance, Blue KC has many affordable direct pay plan options available. If interested, visit www.BlueKC.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

As a service to our members and the community, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) continues to analyze and evaluate the impact reform will have on us all. You can be confident that Blue KC is working hard to understand the complex reform legislation that was passed. We will continue to update this FAQ as we gain more clarity on the different reform elements. Thank you for your interest and please check back often.