NEW: The Senate parliamentarian just ruled that COBRA subsidies to cover the private health insurance premiums of laid off workers can stay in the Covid bill.
@RonWyden: "Workers who have been laid off need affordable health care for their families now more than ever."
@RonWyden: "Workers who have been laid off need affordable health care for their families now more than ever."
@RonWyden Some labor groups, including @unitehere, are lobbying the Senate to increase the subsidies from 85% to 100% of premiums, arguing that even 15% of the cost of these expensive plans is more than unemployed people can afford.
@RonWyden @unitehere Progressive lawmakers have argued that instead of using COBRA to subsidize private insurance, the bill could have instead auto-enrolled laid off people in Medicare or Medicaid for much, much less. But they're still supporting this bill.
@RonWyden @unitehere Democrats and outside experts were fairly confident this provision would survive the "Byrd bath," in part because past reconciliation bills have had similar government subsidies of private health insurance.
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