This law includes one part that entitles former employees of companies with 20 or more workers to continue to receive their employer-sponsored coverage under the group plan for up to 18 months. Under the original legislation, individuals were required to pay the full premium to continue their insurance through COBRA. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided a temporary subsidy of 65 percent of the premium cost for the purchase of COBRA coverage to people who lost their job between September 1, 2008 and May 31, 2010.