COBRA subsidies would constrict the economy

Last week, the House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act, a $3 trillion follow-up to the first three coronavirus relief packages. Among other things, the package would have the government fund nine months of premiums for COBRA, the federal program that lets unemployed workers pay premiums in order to remain on their employers’ health insurance plans.

That’s a bad idea. Not only would it discourage people from returning to work, but it would give billions of taxpayer dollars to insurers that have profited handsomely during the pandemic.