"“I had to come back for the insurance,” Williams quipped about the Women’s Tennis Association’s health coverage after her first-round win in Washington. “They informed me earlier this year I’m on COBRA. I was like, ‘I got to get my benefits on.’ Started training. I’m always at the doctor, so I need this insurance.”
Her comments may have been somewhat playful, but they’re also steeped in reality. The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) — which allows employees and their families to stay on their former employer’s sponsored health insurance plan for a certain amount of time, usually 18 months, although it can sometimes be extended to 36 months — can be pricey, given that coverage is not subsidized by the employer and involves administrative fees. It’s also often confusing and overwhelming, given the complex set of rules, timelines, eligibility criteria, and payment schedules."
