Doty Michelle M, Collins Sara R, Robertson Ruth, Garber Tracy
Commonwealth Fund, USA.
Issue Brief (Commonw Fund). 2011 Aug;18:1-18.
Chronically high unemployment has left millions of Americans without health insurance, which disappeared along with their wages and other job benefits. Although continuing health coverage through COBRA is an option for some workers, the often prohibitively high cost means that relatively few elect to purchase it. When fully implemented in 2014, the Affordable Care Act will dramatically increase health insurance options for people who lose their jobs. Even so, gaps in coverage will remain a risk for many workers who become unemployed or are transitioning to a new job. To help bridge coverage gaps until 2014, policymakers should consider reestablishing the COBRA premium subsidies that helped millions of people who lost their jobs in 2008–2010.
长期的高失业率使数百万美国人失去了医疗保险，医疗保险随着他们的工资和其他工作福利一同消失。虽然通过《综合预算协调法案》（COBRA）继续获得医保覆盖对一些工人来说是一种选择，但通常高得令人望而却步的费用意味着选择购买的人相对较少。2014年全面实施后，《平价医疗法案》将极大地增加失业人员的医疗保险选择。即便如此，对于许多失业或正在转换新工作的工人来说，医保覆盖缺口仍将是一个风险。为了在2014年之前帮助填补医保覆盖缺口，政策制定者应考虑重新设立COBRA保费补贴，该补贴曾帮助了数百万在2008年至2010年失去工作的人。
