PROVIDENCE – Aiming to help unemployed Rhode Islanders understand the changes in COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986) health-benefit provisions included in the federal economic stimulus package, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth H. Roberts has posted explanatory materials on her Web site.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 signed last month by President Barack Obama provides a 65 percent subsidy for the cost of COBRA coverage for workers and eligible family members who have lost their jobs since September 2008.
The premium reduction will last for up to 9 months and is effective as of March 1. Employers are required to pay the subsidized share, on workers’ behalf, but then may take the payments as credits against their withholding and other payroll tax liabilities.
The new page on Roberts’ Web site – www.LtGov.ri.gov/cobra – features COBRA information for both workers and employers. It includes a “frequently asked questions” section as well as links to additional resources. Roberts is also encouraging Rhode Islanders with questions about COBRA to call her office at (401) 222-2371 for guidance.
“Unemployed Rhode Islanders who are struggling to find a new job, meet their living expenses and attempting to contact the unemployment office do not need more bureaucracy getting in the way of their benefit,” Roberts said in a news release. “My office will be available to help people navigate this complex law to find out if they qualify for the reduced premium and how to start saving money immediately.”
News and information from the R.I. Office of the Lieutenant Governor – including qualification guidelines and other information about the new federal COBRA health-benefit premium reduction plan for the unemployed – is available at www.LtGov.ri.gov.
