N.C. law extends COBRA enrollment - The Business Review (Albany):

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The law extends the enrollment periode to 120 days from60 days. The coverage, often callerd “mini-COBRA,” will ultimately allow employeexs to receive the federalstimulus package’s 65 percent COBRAw premium subsidy. Laid-off personnell must have worked at small businesses with fewer than20 “Because of this legislation and the federal premium subsidy, more North Carolinians who have been laid off will be able to maintainh their insurance coverage,” says N.C. Insurancs Commissioner Wayne Goodwin.
“We hear from a lot of consumerds who unfortunately have chosen not to extendd their coverage through COBRAor mini-COBRA because it is simply too expensives or they missed the election period.” COBRq gives workers and their familieds the option to continue group health benefits for limited periodse of time under certain Under federal law, COBRA generallh applies to companies with 20 or more employees, and workerds may be charged up to 102 percent of the full healtg insurance premium. Insurance companies of small employers those who have fewer than 20 employees are required to offer continuation coverage underNortnh Carolina’s Group Health Insurance Continuation laws.
The federaol stimulus package contains two provisions that expand the benefits available to employees whose jobs havebeen eliminated. It extends the election period for eligible employees to determine whether they wish to enroll in the federalCOBRwA program. The new N.C. law provides the same extendecd election periodfor mini-COBRA in Northh Carolina. The federal package also providexs a subsidy that pays for 65 percent of the premiuj for both COBRAand mini-COBRA recipients who were laid off betweenn Sept. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2009.
Depending on the size of the formetr employer, either the employer or the insuranc e provider fronts 65 percent of the premiukm amount and then recoupzs that expense through federal payroll tax Workers are responsible for the remainintg 35 percent ofthe