Earlier this week, the Big “I" joined a diverse group of employers, health care stakeholders, unions, patient and disease groups and health care advocates in sending a letter to congressional leadership urging them to take immediate action to protect the health care of the millions of Americans who have lost their health care coverage due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, the letter asks Congress to help the more than 30 million recently unemployed Americans afford to temporarily stay on their employer-provided health care plan during this unprecedented public health and economic crisis.

Employer-provided coverage has been the backbone of our health care system for decades. Before COVID-19, the employer-provided health care system protected more than half of all Americans and their families. With millions of Americans losing their jobs every week, the Big “I" believes that Congress needs to step in and provide additional COBRA support and similar continuation coverage to help people pay for health insurance.

As Congress continues to discuss additional ways to respond to the COVID-19 crisis the coming day and weeks, the Big “I" will continue to advocate for agents and their clients and provide updates on important developments in the News & Views e-newsletter.

Wyatt Stewart is Big “I" senior director of federal government affairs.