During negotiations for the next COVID-19 emergency relief package, U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) and 10 of his colleagues urged their chamber’s leadership to prioritize workers who have lost or are in danger of losing their health insurance due to being laid off or furloughed during the pandemic.
“Especially during a pandemic, no American deserves to have to choose between paying more to maintain health insurance or putting food on the table. The option for families to keep their existing insurance coverage amid COVID-19 should not be cost-prohibitive,” wrote the lawmakers in an April 21 letter sent to leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives. “Our constituents who are facing the dual crises of job loss and health insurance uncertainty need to be front and center in our discussions on the next legislative package.”
Nearly 55 percent of American workers are insured through employer-sponsored Insurance and may lose access to their health insurance or face coverage gaps if they lose their job, according to their letter.
Workers in this position have the option through the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) to maintain their health insurance, however, COBRA is cost-prohibitive for many Americans who also must pay for housing, food and other necessities during the pandemic, Rep. Davis and his colleagues wrote.
“In previous economic downturns, Congress increased subsidies to help workers afford COBRA,” the members wrote. “This should be done again in the next legislative package.”
Among those who joined Rep. Davis in signing the bipartisan letter was U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn (D-OK).