Workers who are laid off (or worry about being laid off) are pointed to The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act as the thing that will help them if they lose health care insurance through their jobs.
But a new analysis by The Commonwealth Fund finds that only 9 percent of laid-off workers took up coverage under COBRA in 2006.
Anyone who's compared coverage costs knows that COBRA is expensive. It's a last-ditch alternative for many who can't find less expensive coverage on the open market.
The Commonwealth report says unemployed workers would need a 75 percent to 85 percent subsidy (from where?!) to keep their premium contributions at the levels they paid on the job.
The report, "Maintaining Health Insurance During a Recession: Likely COBRA Eligibility," said that 60 percent of current workers, if laid off, would be eligible for COBRA.
"But for most people, COBRA payments are unaffordable" -- averaging $4,704 a year for individuals and $12,680 for families -- the report said.
Last time I checked, we already have government sponsored health care. If you cannot afford care, medicare/medicaid is established for assistance. If you go to any hospital in need of care, by law they are unable to refuse service. As for "universal coverage", at what point do you draw the line on service provided? When is it ok to order an MRI or other expensive test? The same people shouting for Universal Care are the one's complaining about HMOs. The government will be worse than any HMO of the past.