Boost to health coverage planned in Massachusetts

Massachusetts will combine federal stimulus money with an existing state assistance program so that thousands of unemployed residents will be able to get health insurance at a small fraction of the usual cost. Massachusetts already has its own program to help cover COBRA costs for low- and some middle-income unemployed people, and now the state will combine its program with the federal initiative. Massachusetts will use state money to offset the remaining one-third of a family's premium costs not covered by the federal benefit.