What is ARPA COBRA subsidy?

Asked by: Jacey Feil Jr.  |  Last update: January 21, 2026
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Overview of COBRA and the Subsidy Program In 2021, the federal government introduced the COBRA subsidy program under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The subsidy covered 100% of the COBRA premium costs for assistance eligible individuals (AEI) from April 1, 2021, through September 30, 2021.

What are ARPA subsidies?

Temporary subsidies were originally passed as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in 2021, which included two years of enhanced subsidies (2021 and 2022). The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which passed in 2022, extended these enhanced subsidies for an additional three years, ending after 2025.

How do I claim my COBRA subsidy credit?

Request a Refund for Amounts Paid in COBRA Premiums Exceeding Federal Employment Tax Liability: The employer may claim the Credit through an employment tax refund on the applicable employment tax return, generally Form 941, Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return.

Is a COBRA subsidy taxable?

No you do not have to report the COBRA assistance as income. Under Sec. 139I, the premium assistance is excluded from an individual's gross income because the employer or other payer can receive a tax credit for providing the coverage.

What is ARPA money?

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), also known as the COVID-19 Stimulus Package, is a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package signed into law in March 2021.

ARPA - COBRA Subsidy - What you need to know

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How does the ARPA work?

The system is able to acquire automatically and constantly monitor number of targets, plot their speeds and courses, present these as vectors on the display screen, updated with each sweep of the antenna, and calculate their closest points of approach to own ship and the time before that will occur.

What is the best use of ARPA funds?

❖ Reporting will be more complicated due to the required separate tracking of ARPA and VOCA funds. Due to this, it may be best to use ARPA funds for items like rent, utilities, Osnium (or other) tracking systems, office supplies, program supplies, emergency funds, or other items that do not require OVC PMT reporting.

How does COBRA subsidy work?

An individual is eligible for the COBRA subsidy if they experience either of the following qualifying events: An involuntary termination of employment (other than for gross misconduct). Reduction in hours, which causes an individual to lose state health, dental or vision plan eligibility.

Can you get a refund on COBRA?

Generally, there are no refunds when you cancel your plan early. You may contact your administrator or your past employer for specific insurance payment information.

Does insurance subsidy count as income?

Either way, the subsidy is a tax credit, and is not considered income.

How long does the COBRA subsidy last?

The subsidy is available for 9 months of coverage. The subsidy does not change or extend the overall COBRA continuation coverage, which is usually 18 months from the qualifying event.

Can I claim COBRA payments on my taxes?

Are my COBRA premiums deductible? Yes they are tax deductible as a medical expense. There isn't necessarily a “COBRA Tax Deduction”. You can only deduct the amount of COBRA medical expenses on your federal income tax in excess of 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income and then only if you itemize deductions.

Do you get COBRA if you quit?

Whether you quit, get fired or are laid off, you may be able to choose your former employer's health plan under a federal law called COBRA. That stands for Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act. It's available if: You were enrolled in an employer-sponsored medical, dental or vision plan.

What is ARPA Cobra?

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) includes a federally-financed COBRA subsidy that is available for up to six months for eligible individuals. ARPA was signed into law on March 11, 2021. The law provides for COBRA health insurance premium assistance for individuals who meet certain requirements.

What is ARPA credit?

The credits are equal to 100 percent of up to two weeks (to a maximum of 80 hours) of the qualified sick leave wages and up to 12 weeks of the qualified family leave wages (including certain collectively bargained contributions), plus allocable qualified health plan expenses, and the employer's allocable share of ...

How do health insurance subsidies work?

Subsidy description

Individuals with household incomes up to 250% of the federal poverty level (FPL) are eligible for CSRs that eliminate deductibles and reduce other out-of-pocket costs. For 2025, all Covered California enrollees will qualify for at least the Enhanced Silver 73 health plan5.

What are the disadvantages of COBRA coverage?

COBRA cons
  • COBRA can be expensive, especially compared to the premiums you were paying before your qualifying event. ...
  • COBRA does not apply to all employer-sponsored health plans—in particular, those organizations with fewer than 20 employees may have no requirements. ...
  • Even if you get an extension, COBRA is only temporary.

Is COBRA premium subsidy taxable income?

Taxability of Subsidies

The premium subsidy is not included in the individual's income. However, there is a phase-out of eligibility for the subsidy, which will increase some high-income individuals' tax liability if they receive the subsidy.

Can you cancel COBRA by not paying?

Failure to make payment in full before the end of a grace period could cause you to lose all COBRA rights.

Is COBRA a monthly payment?

The plan must allow qualified beneficiaries to pay the required premiums on a monthly basis if they ask to do so, and may allow payments at other intervals (for example, weekly or quarterly). Plans cannot require qualified beneficiaries to pay a premium when they make the COBRA election.

Can you get a refund for COBRA?

COBRA is the law that requires your previous employer to offer coverage through their group health plan. You would need to contact your previous employer's COBRA Administrator (usually in the HR Department) or you may contact your provider directly to inquire about a refund for payments you've made after cancellation.

Is COBRA coverage worth it?

If you're close to meeting your deductible on your current insurance plan and you have high health care costs, it may be worth it to temporarily stay on your COBRA plan,” explains Donovan. The same holds true if you're far into your employer plan's year and have already met your deductible.

Do ARPA funds have to be paid back?

ARPA regulations require local governments to return grant funding that remains unobligated beyond the December 2024 end-of-year deadline to the U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury) — making this deadline one of the most important for cities, towns and villages.

What are the advantages of ARPA?

As we can see from this statement the principal advantages of ARPA are a reduction in the workload of bridge personnel and fuller and quicker information on selected targets. A typical ARPA function gives a presentation of the current situation and uses computer technology to predict future situations.

How does ARPA funding work?

State governments and the District of Columbia will receive $195.3 billion of the state portion of the recovery funds over two tranche disbursements. Territories will receive a total of $4.5 billion in a single payment. Recipients must obligate the funds by Dec. 31, 2024, and spend them by Dec.