On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), commonly known as the Economic Stimulus Package. As a result, effective March 1, 2009, certain individuals involuntarily terminated from employment between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009 will be eligible for subsidized COBRA premiums. The subsidy will be paid by the federal government and amounts to 65% of COBRA premiums for up to 9 months.