Americans who have been let go from their jobs due to the troubled economy could get health insurance assistance through the stimulus package under debate in Congress.

States would receive federal funds to open Medicaid health programs to the unemployed. And workers laid off between Sept. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2009, could qualify for help paying 65 percent of the cost of keeping coverage under their former employers' insurance.

Under current law, many workers who lose their jobs can stay on their employers' health insurance for 18 months if they can afford to pay the full tab plus a 2 percent administrative charge.

The stimulus plan would help workers pay for that coverage with temporary subsidies—12 months under the House version and nine months under the Senate's .

Source:  USA Today,  Plan Aids Jobless With Health Costs