My husband was recently laid off. I understand we are eligible for COBRA and that there is now a federal subsidy available for people in our situation. The recently enacted ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, I think) provides that 65% of the cost of COBRA (which allows continuation of health insurance benefits for the recently unemployed) will be subsidized by the federal government for those that qualify.
We seem to meet most or all of the requirements for the subsidy. However, I am disabled and have been covered by Medicare (which became my secondary insurance because I was also covered under my husband's employee group health insurance) for several months now.
One of the requirements for the COBRA subsidy is that the individual not become eligible for any other health insurance, including Medicare. In the notices I have read, nothing seems to address the issue of whether the employee's spouse who is already enrolled in Medicare and has been, for months before the employee's (my husband's) termination, is qualified or disqualified for the federal subsidy.
Under Medicare alone (parts A & B) I would not receive the quality and extent of benefits I have been receiving under my husband's plan. (In fact, as a secondary insurance, I have received nothing so far from Medicare as a secondary insurance.) If I lose my husband's insurance coverage, many of my copayments for services will increase, and I will not receive vision, dental and pharmaceutical benefits at all (at least to my knowledge). I would be forced to purchase a Medicare supplementary plan and Medicare Part D as well. The cost of this would be considerably higher than the subsidized COBRA benefit for my husband and me as a couple.
I have contacted numerous organizations and visited many websites without finding a conclusive answer to my question. Meanwhile, until we make a COBRA election (for both of us or only my husband), my husband has no coverage (except perhaps retroactively), and my coverage is reduced to what Medicare alone can provide.
Can anyone answer this question, and/or point me to a source where I can document the answer? Thank you so very much... Mary
