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CSSB 1771 Helps More Laid-Off Texans Access Federal COBRA Assistance

  

Author:
Stacey Pogue /(512) 320-0222 x 117

April 1, 2009

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The federal economic recovery act includes federal subsidies to help people being laid off buy private health insurance coverage for nine months while seeking new jobs. Under current law, employees laid off from larger companies are already eligible for the subsidy if they lost their job after September 1, 2008. But companies with fewer than 20 employees fall into a different category. For those employees to take full advantage of the health care subsidy, the Legislature must make modest changes to state insurance law that require no General Revenue. CSSB 1771 makes needed changes and will help keep more Texans covered through the private market instead of joining the growing ranks of the uninsured.