On March 2, 2010, President Obama signed the Temporary Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 4691) that, among other things, extends the eligibility period for the COBRA subsidy provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for an additional 30 days.
The new legislation extends the eligibility date for the COBRA subsidy from February 28, 2010 to March 31, 2010.
The COBRA subsidy provisions under the ARRA provide that eligible employees (those who are “involuntarily terminated” within the stated period) pay 35% of the premium costs and employers pay the other 65%. The employer can then file for a federal tax credit for the premium subsidy it pays.