HR in Review February 2010

As part of the fiscal year 2010 Department of Defense Appropriations (DOD) Act, COBRA premium subsidies, as well as unemployment benefits, were extended through February 28, 2010.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 originally provided a nine-month government subsidy of 65 percent of the cost of COBRA coverage for employees (and their eligible family members) who lost their health insurance coverage due to involuntary termination of employment in 2009. Under the DOD Act, the subsidy has been extended to 15 months, with employees who lose their jobs in January or February of 2010 still eligible.

Additionally, extensions have been granted for:

• The filing of the Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation, offering claims and payment until July 31;

• Qualification for Federal Additional Compensation with payment through August 31; and

• The period during which 100 percent federal reimbursement for weeks of regular federal extended benefit payments for states opting to trigger federal extended benefits based on the Total Unemployment Rate, extended until February 28.