en Española -- Individuals who lost their jobs in the last several months may be eligible for employer-sponsored health insurance coverage at greatly reduced rates.

The federal government will pay 65% of Cobra continuation coverage premiums as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which was signed into law on Feb. 17. The coverage will apply to individuals who lost or lose their jobs between Sept. 1, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2009 and are eligible for continuing coverage under Cobra, a federal law called the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act.

The new subsidy "makes Cobra much more affordable for a lot of people," says Scott Keyes, a senior health-care consultant at Watson Wyatt, a consulting firm. He expects participation could double or triple.

The new subsidy would last up to nine months for individuals who are not eligible for other insurance such as Medicare or a spouse's plan. It applies to employees, their spouses and any children who lost health coverage because of an involuntary termination.

Participants also can't earn more than $125,000 in the year they receive the subsidy if they are single or more than $250,000 for couples who file jointly.

Laid-off workers already can extend their job-related health coverage for up to 18 months under Cobra. The law applies to companies with 20 or more workers, which continue to offer a group health plan.

"I think this is aimed at helping people stay insured," says Amy Bergner, a principal at Mercer, a consulting firm in Washington.

She says employees who didn't elect Cobra coverage initially now have a second chance to sign up. -- read more

Compromise on Health Care

Democrats are seeking a compromise on a bigger government role in insurance coverage as part of President Barack Obama's proposed health care overhaul.

At issue is whether middle-class workers and families should have the option of a government-sponsored plan that would compete with private insurers. Obama and other Democrats support the idea, which Republicans adamantly oppose.

Sen. Charles Schumer, who is working on the issue for the Senate Finance Committee, said Thursday one potential compromise is based on insurance plans that most states already offer their employees. Obama's health secretary nominee, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, likes the idea.

Schumer, D-N.Y., said such a plan would avoid expanding a federal program like Medicare and that a private insurer possibly could run it. Sebelius already administers that type of plan in Kansas.

At a Senate hearing, Sebelius noted that more than 30 states "have a public plan side by side with private market plans in our state employee programs." State workers, she said, "have an opportunity to take a look at which is best suited to themselves and their families. And there has been no destruction of the marketplace."

The insurance lobby fears that a federally backed plan could drive companies out of business. "We are taking a look at the different state employee plans to get a better understanding of how they operate," said Robert Zirkelbach, a spokesman for (AHIP) America's Health Insurance Plans.

GOP lawmakers "are going to need to know what's in the fine print," said Craig Orfield, a spokesman for Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., a leading lawmaker in the debate.

The issue of a public plan is a major stumbling block in deciding how to rein in health costs and cover the uninsured. "My goal is to find a plan that would be acceptable to large numbers of senators," Schumer said in an interview. "Right now, the private insurers are totally opposed, but maybe there's room." A public plan could serve broader goals, he said, by pioneering innovations that profit-driven companies might be slow to adopt because of costs.

The state employee plans Schumer is looking at are similar to how big companies insure their workers. Companies budget each year for health expenses, then hire an insurer to process claims, negotiate rates with doctors and hospitals and cajole employees to follow healthier lifestyles. -- read more

COBRA Benefits Increase

The federal stimulus package will pay 65 percent of the cost of COBRA health insurance for those being laid off, but it's unclear how big a difference that will make to people in South Florida who've lost their jobs.

Consider Laurita Robinson, a Pembroke Park accounts payable manager who was recently laid off when her company moved its billing operations to New York. She had a family policy, covering her husband and daughter. Under COBRA, such policies usually run $1,000 or more a month.

Even with the government picking up 65 percent of that, ''that still leaves me about $350 or so, and that's pretty expensive when you consider unemployment [insurance] isn't that much,'' Robinson said.

COBRA has always been that kind of conundrum. The law requires that large companies be required to offer departing workers health insurance for 18 months -- on condition that they pay the full premium. The insurance can be pricey, the law complicated -- a godsend to those with difficult medical situations and a puzzle to many others.

Robinson hadn't seen her COBRA package yet when she talked to The Miami Herald, and she was unclear on details. She thought she was told that she had to continue with the family coverage she had, rather than just covering herself, but she wasn't sure. --read more -- Española

Obama Firm On Health Insurance

In his televised news conference, President Obama said, "that he was willing to be flexible on negotiating with Congress on the budget for the 2010 fiscal year, but that he would stand firmly by his commitment to 'health care reform.'" It sets off the question of what he and others mean by that term.

Here is a brief explanation of what he’s probably referring to. --read more == Española

Free Healthcare Offered By Awesome South Florida Doctor

With the number of uninsured rising daily, a prominent South Miami radiologist is offering free mammogram screenings for women who have lost their jobs and health insurance. ''In the spirit of Barack Obama, we need to volunteer to help our country,'' said Nilza Kallos, who operates the Breast Health Center and Diagnostic Ultrasound. -- more

Cancer Patient Loses Coverage

Here is a health insurance nightmare we all wish we could avoid. A 39 year old woman can't afford her next cancer treatment — a radioactive therapy that she's supposed to receive once a year — because she and her husband lost their jobs in December. Without insurance, she has postponed the radiation indefinitely and is taking only half of her asthma medications — sacrifices that often leave her gasping for air and could allow her cancer to come surging back. "I can't walk more than 100 feet without sounding like I just ran a marathon," says Prosser --- more

Your Health or Insurance Company Profits

We all know that people have different ideologies about the proper role of government. Some people, who tend to be left of center, think that the government's role is to try to promote the general good, by providing basic services, protecting the poor and the sick, and ensuring a well-working economy. On the other hand, there are others, who usually place themselves right of center, who believe that the proper role of government is to redistribute as much income as possible to the wealthy. more

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