COBRA health insurance subsidy benefits will expire today, and unemployment insurance benefits begin running out April 5.
The Senate is in Easter recess until April 12, and word is that Senators will not be recalled early to extend unemployment insurance and COBRA subsidies.
The House approved an extension of jobless benefits earlier this month but the bill was blocked in the Senate by Republicans who were concerned over how the benefits would be funded.
Democrats have said they will again seek to extend the benefits once the Senate returns nearly two weeks from now, and they’ll seek to provide benefits retroactively to those who lose them.
Should that happen, state unemployment agencies will have to close thousands of cases in early April and reopen them once unemployment benefits are extended.
Earlier this month, President Obama extended the 15-month, 65% federal COBRA premium subsidy through the end of March. Without an extension, employees laid off after today (March 31) will not be eligible to receive the subsidy.
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