The Little-Known Obamacare COBRA Catch-22

When I'm negotiating severance packages for employees, many times employers will offer to pay a month or more of COBRA payments. COBRA is the law that says employers have to let employees who lose their jobs stay on the company's insurance for up to 18 months as long as the employee pays 100% of the premium. Those premiums can be huge: $1,000 or more sometimes. Getting the employer to pick up some of the premiums can be a huge benefit.

Until now, that is.