SENATOR COLLINS ANNOUNCES $880,000 IN HEALTH INSURANCE PAYMENTS FOR DISPLACED WORKERS

U.S. Senator Susan Collins today announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has approved a National Emergency Grant (NEG) in the amount of $880,000 to provide partial premium payments for health insurance coverage to approximately 800 unemployed Mainers. The funding was awarded to the Maine Department of Labor, which will in turn administer the grant.

"This assistance is welcome news and I commend DOL's decision to approve the grant," said Senator Collins in a statement. "This funding will provide financial assistance to displaced workers and help them afford health insurance coverage during these tough economic times."

The NEG funding was made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which Senator Collins helped author last year with a bipartisan group of Senators. The grant funding will be used to provide assistance to unemployed individuals who are receiving Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) benefits and are eligible for the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) program. According to the Department of Labor, these payments will cover the gap period between enrollment in HCTC and the first payments under the program. The State of Maine will provide up to three months of gap filler payments.

###