Bloomberg to pay health care costs for campaign workers through November

Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s (D) former presidential campaign announced Monday that staffers who are unable to afford health insurance will have Continuation of Health Coverage (COBRA) benefits paid for by the campaign through November.

In a memo sent to all staffers, obtained by The Hill, Bloomberg’s campaign pointed to “extraordinary circumstances” including the coronavirus outbreak as a reason for the move. The campaign is currently facing two class-action lawsuits from former staffers alleging that it promised to pay them in full through November regardless of how long Bloomberg stayed in the race.

“We hope you and your families are staying safe and following all precautions outlined by federal, state, and local governments and the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]. We know this is a difficult and stressful time for everyone as we all aim to keep ourselves, our families and communities safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic,” reads the memo.

“Given these extraordinary circumstances, the campaign will cover the cost of COBRA through November, 2020. This is aimed at supporting those who are enrolled in Mike Bloomberg 2020 benefits and have not already secured replacement healthcare coverage,” it continues.

A spokesperson for the Bloomberg campaign told The Hill that it has continued to pay for health benefits for campaign workers since Bloomberg dropped out earlier this year.

“The campaign has covered health insurance for former employees since Mike dropped out. Today’s announcement makes it official that given the challenges associated with the pandemic, the campaign will continue to cover health care through November 2020 for former employees who haven’t secured other coverage,” said the spokesperson.

The ex-campaign manager for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who also suspended his run for the Democratic nomination, has said that Sanders staffers would remain on the campaign’s health plan through October.