Help for newly unemployed to decipher COBRA options

By Sarah Arnquist

The downturn in the economy, means lots of newly unemployed individuals will be asking what happens with their health insurance.

There are a number of online resources to help them understand their options under COBRA. Here are a few:

eHealthInsurance launched a new initiative, www.COBRAlearning.com, to education consumers about COBRA and alternatives health insurance for the newly unemployed. Accompanying the launch, was a survey (paid for by ehealthinsurance) that found many consumers don't know what COBRA is or what their options are after losing employment.

Besides having a cheezy name, bWell-Informed Health Plan Forecaster says it offers "vendor-neutral educational and personal underwriting tools" for those Americans who are in the position of having "the freedom, yet responsibility, to choose their own health care."

Here, also are government and nonprofit options. The Department of Labor explains COBRA coverage here. The American Cancer Society also has a page intended to explain COBRA coverage.