For Immediate Release: April 14, 2020

Press Contact: Robyn Shapiro, rshapiro@economicliberties.us

COBRA EXPANSION HELPS INSURANCE COMPANIES MORE THAN WORKING PEOPLE

Washington, D.C. — The American Economic Liberties Project released the following statement in response to House Democrats’ proposal to expand COBRA subsidies for laid-off or furloughed workers:

“House Democrats’ plan to dramatically expand COBRA only adds up for monopolistic insurance company executives,” said Economic Liberties Executive Director Sarah Miller. “We are in the middle of a public health crisis. More than 17 million people have lost their jobs, many of them losing health insurance in the process. COBRA is needlessly complicated and expanding it will do nothing to help the millions whose jobs never offered health insurance to begin with, including those who work in small businesses, gig jobs, retail, and restaurants.”

“In fact, the people most likely to benefit from a COBRA expansion are the insurance companies themselves. That’s why they’re some of the only ones calling for such a proposal,” added Miller. “In the middle of a pandemic, Congress needs to act quickly to make sure everyone can access health care. They could do that by expanding public programs like Medicaid, Medicare, or Tricare, which are better equipped to quickly expand access to care.”

Read the New York Times profile on Sarah Miller and Economic Liberties here.  

Learn more about Economic Liberties here.  

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Economic Liberties works to ensure America’s system of commerce is structured to advance, rather than undermine, economic liberty, fair commerce, and a secure, inclusive democracy. AELP believes true economic liberty means entrepreneurs and businesses large and small succeed on the merits of their ideas and hard work; commerce empowers consumers, workers, farmers, and engineers instead of subjecting them to discrimination and abuse from financiers and monopolists; foreign trade arrangements support domestic security and democracy; and wealth is broadly distributed to support equitable political power.