Stimulus Bill/ Tough Financial Times

[tuna]

Thought I'd share this with this group, in case any of us here are struggling financially. This might be important to you:

(excerpted from http://www.sleepguide.com/profiles/blog ... mulus-bill)

On Tuesday, President Obama is expected to sign into law the Stimulus Bill that Congress approved last week. The 1,000 page bill is complex and multifaceted, but for the members of SleepGuide.com, I wanted to highlight that it contains a provision that may help some of our members get diagnosed and treated for Sleep Apnea. Basically, for those who are laid off from their jobs between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009, the federal government will pay 65 percent of your COBRA premiums for up to nine months. Also, anyone who was laid off since September who had initially declined COBRA, but in light of the new rule making would like to elect it, will have an additional 60 day period to elect it. The subsidy isn't available to workers whose income in the year they would receive it exceeds $125,000 for individuals and $250,000 for families.

The average family's COBRA premium is about $1,000 a month without the subsidy; with the subsidy it would be reduced to $350 a month.

Something to consider as you make choices about how and whether to do something about your Sleep Apnea in light of current economic circumstances. . .

Yup a Stimulus bill full of pork spending and very little stimulus!

[Gale Hawkins]

Hey the insurance industry has been hard hit by Wall Street declines and can use the bailout money. Not sure it will help sell more CPAP machines however.

By the way thanks for the link. If it would pick up 65% of the health insurance bill for some who have been laid off that would help those families keep coverage.

[AndyCelt]

The average family's COBRA premium is about $1,000 a month without the subsidy; with the subsidy it would be reduced to $350 a month.

Something to consider as you make choices about how and whether to do something about your Sleep Apnea in light of current economic circumstances. . .

I have a former co-worker with cancer for whom this will be a critical blessing. Thanks for posting on this.

[PST]

I have a former co-worker with cancer for whom this will be a critical blessing. Thanks for posting on this.

I hate to be the one to say this, and it would be worth checking with the Employee Benefits Security Administration in order to be absolutely sure, but I believe this program expired at May 31, 2010, and was not further extended. People who lost their insurance coverage due to a layoff after that date are not eligible. See http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq-cobra- ... ction.html.

[cflame1]

the original post was from 2009

[RandyJ]

This thread should have OT in the subject line... forum etiquette, folks...

[chunkyfrog]

Tuna has not been here for a while--not likely to edit it.