According to the New York Times, "The stimulus bill working its way through Congress... offers a lifeline to workers who have lost health insurance along with their jobs. In theory, such workers and their families can keep their group health benefits for 18 months under a federal law, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986, known as Cobra. But laid-off workers are often required to pay 102 percent of the full premium, including the employer’s share, so the cost now can be prohibitive. Under the bill, the federal government would pay 65 percent of the premiums for a year. That subsidy would almost surely increase the number of laid-off workers choosing to continue coverage."

Making Cobra more affordable is a great idea.  Congress should also make sure that Cobra is available to all people who are covered by an employer's health insurance plan.  Currently, domestic partners are not included in the definition of "qualified beneficiaries" covered by COBRA.  As a result, employers that provide domestic partnership benefits are not required to to provide continuation coverage for domestic partners of employees, and many don't.  While we're weaving a stronger social safety net, let's patch the holes that let unmarried families fall through.

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