On March 2, 2010, the Temporary Extension Act of 2010 was signed into law. By passing this law, the federal government has – again – extended the COBRA subsidy by lengthening:
1) The period during which the involuntary termination occurred. The employees’ termination date has been extended to include March 1 through March 31, 2010. All employees that qualify for COBRA are entitled to a 15 month, 65% COBRA subsidy.
2) An individual who did not elect to receive benefits under COBRA when his/her hours were reduced will now be eligible to receive the COBRA subsidy if that person is involuntarily terminated from employment between March 1 and March 31, 2010.