N.C. law extends COBRA enrollment - Kansas City Business Journal:

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The law extends the enrollment periox to 120 days from60 days. The often called “mini-COBRA,” will ultimately allow employeed to receive the federalstimulus package’s 65 percent COBRq premium subsidy. Laid-off personnel must have worked at smalol businesses with fewer than20 “Because of this legislation and the federal premium more North Carolinians who have been laid off will be able to maintainn their insurance coverage,” says N.C. Insurance Commissionee Wayne Goodwin.
“We hear from a lot of consumerws who unfortunately have chosen not to extend their coverager through COBRAor mini-COBRA because it is simplt too expensive or they missed the election COBRA gives workers and their families the optiob to continue group health benefitsw for limited periods of time under certain circumstances. Under federalp law, COBRA generally applies to companies with 20 or more and workers may be charged up to 102 percengt of the full healthinsurance premium. Insurance companies of small employere — those who have feweer than 20employees — are requireed to offer continuation coverage under North Carolina’s Group Health Insurance Continuation laws.
The federal stimulus package contains two provisions that expand the benefitsx available to employees whose jobs have been It extends the election period for eligiblee employees to determine whether they wish to enroll in the federalCOBRA program. The new N.C. law providexs the same extended election periodfor mini-COBRqA in North Carolina. The federal package also provides a subsid y that pays for 65 percent of the premiumm for both COBRAand mini-COBRA recipientx who were laid off between Sept. 1, and Dec. 31, 2009.
Depending on the size of the formetr employer, either the employee or the insurance provider fronts 65 percent of the premium amoun t and then recoups that expensde through federal payrolltax credits. Workerd are responsible for the remaining 35 percent ofthe