COBRA Coverage Is Unaffordable for Most Laid-Off Workers

Although federal and state laws provide a potential health lifeline for laid-off workers, the costs of the coverage they provide are usually prohibitively high.

However, when people are laid off from their jobs, if they want to continue coverage under COBRA, they must pay the entire cost of the premium plus a 2 percent administrative fee.

The national average cost of employer-provided coverage for an individual, plus a 2 percent fww, amounts to $4,656 a year, or $388 amonth.  For family coverage, the cost jumps to $12,823, or $1069 a month.

Nationally, to maintain single coverage, the average unemployed worker would need to spend 30 percent of his or her unemployment insurance (UI) check on COBRA Premiums.

Courtesy of FamiliesUSA.org