NEWS BRIEFS
Federal stimulus package includes help for COBRA coverage The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law in February provides premium assistance to help involuntarily unemployed workers purchase COBRA health insurance through their former employer or other continuation coverage. Under the act, eligible
unemployed workers receive a 65 percent reduction in monthly premiums, for up to nine months. For information about eligibility requirements in Minnesota, visit familiesusa. org/issues/private-insurance/understandingcobra-premium.html or call 866-444-3272.
Disability community rallies to oppose budget cuts Nearly 1,500 people gathered at the state Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, March 7, for a statewide rally to show support for programs for people with disabilities and older Minnesotans. Due to the state’s nearly $5 billion budget deficit, the Minnesota Department of Human Services faces significant cuts, which could have a direct impact on state, county and city programs that many people with multiple sclerosis rely on. To view photos of the rally, visit www.tinyurl.com/march7rally.
Nearly 1,500 people attended a statewide rally March 7 to take a stand against budget cuts to state-funded programs for people with disabilities and the elderly.
New partnership to receive up to $19 million in support to speed MS research Fast Forward, LLC, a subsidiary of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and EMD Serono recently announced an exciting collaboration to evaluate and fund a select group of highlypromising MS research projects — with up to $19 million in financial support from
EMD Serono parent company Merck KGaA. The National MS Society launched Fast Forward in 2008 to help bridge the gap between research and drug development and speed the delivery of new treatments to people with MS. Learn more at FastForward.org.
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