Utah Legislature Approves Bill To Extend, Expand COBRA To Workers Laid Off From Small Businesses

The Utah Legislature recently approved a bill (HB 178) that would add new, local provisions for laid off Utah workers to enroll in COBRA, the Salt Lake City Deseret News reports (Thalman, Salt Lake City Deseret News, 3/18). Under the federal economic stimulus package, workers involuntarily terminated between Sept. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2009, whose annual incomes do not exceed $125,000 for individuals or $250,000 for families qualify for subsidies to cover 65% of the cost of health insurance premiums under COBRA for as long as nine months (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 3/2). According to the Deseret News, "Utah employers have been at or near the top in the percentage of employers nationwide dropping coverage because they can no longer afford it." The Utah bill addresses COBRA coverage for Utah workers at companies with up to 19 workers who were laid off between Sept. 1, 2008, and Feb. 17 and did not enroll in a COBRA plan (Salt Lake City Deseret News, 3/18).


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