COBRA Benefits Going Away On Monday

In today's top story from McClatchy that has caught the attention of Duncan "Atrios" Black and Marcy "Emptywheel" Wheeler, there will be a number of unemployed Americans on Monday who will not have any more COBRA subsidy to help drastically with paying for their health care.

The program's duration, originally set up from the stimulus bill, has caught the eye of the Congressional figures who really do care about the American people. And they have urged something to be done about this:

Earlier this month, Sen. AI Franken, D-Minn., spoke on the Senate floor of a 57-year-old constituent from Lakeville named "Gregory" who was laid off from his printing job in March and now depends heavily on his COBRA subsidy........

"In today's dismal economy, who has $940 each month to spend on health insurance, especially if you don't have a job?" Franken said. " . . . Now is not the time to put another burden on struggling families."

Franken and other Democratic senators wrote a letter this week urging party leaders to act on the COBRA Subsidy Extension and Enhancement Act of 2009 (S. 2730). The bill, sponsored by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, would increase the subsidy from 65 percent to 75 percent, extend it from nine to 15 months and push the initial expiration date to next June.

Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., sponsored a similar measure in the House of Representatives.

At least it is encouraging to see some on the hill, including truly moderate or progressive figures, be alart to this major life dilemma for the down trodden in the nation.