Cobra

COBRA premiums can be incredibly expensive—up to 102% of what you and your employer were once paying together (and in some cases, this amount can be even higher)! But despite the cost, it can be really important to exhaust your COBRA coverage in order to be eligible for certain protections afforded by HIPAA and other laws. For more information on COBRA, you can contact the Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa.

While there are financial assistance programs offered through some private charitable organizations that may be able to reduce the cost of COBRA premiums (some of which are available here: https://www.disabilityrightslegalcenter.org/about/documents/NationalFinancialAssistance2011.pdf), one option that may be available to help people pay for the costs of COBRA in certain states is the Health Insurance Premium Payment Program (“HIPP”). HIPP is a Medicaid program that pays for the private health insurance premiums for certain individuals with high medical costs.

HIPP programs are not offered in every state and eligibility requirements vary. Generally, to participate in a state’s HIPP program, an individual must qualify for Medicaid and have an existing medical condition that has been determined to be a cost-effective condition for the HIPP program. For more information on which states offer HIPP programs, please view our handout on the topic, here: https://www.disabilityrightslegalcenter.org/about/documents/NationalHIPP2011.pdf