The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), passed in an effort to stimulate the economy, includes measures that help laid-off workers obtain health coverage and that provide fiscal relief to state Medicaid programs.

A new analysis from the Urban Institute concludes that these provisions are likely to achieve only partial success. According to author Stan Dorn, ARRA will allow some unemployed workers and their families to retain health coverage. However, many will remain uninsured because the premium subsidies will prove too small to make coverage affordable and because large numbers of laid-off workers will be ineligible for help.