COBRA Rolls Double As Subsidy Makes Coverage More Affordable To Laid-Off Workers

"A federal subsidy designed to make health insurance more affordable for laid-off workers has led to a doubling in the number of people who have opted to continue their former employer's coverage," USA Today reports. The subsidy, created by the federal stimulus package, covers 65 percent of COBRA premiums for workers who were laid off between Sept. 1, 2008 and the end of this year.