The 2010 Department of Defense Appropriations Act has extended the 65% assistance payment under the COBRA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) for an additional two months. The ARRA was originally scheduled to end on December 31, 2009, but will now expire on February 28, 2010.
In addition, the new Act also lengthened the maximum duration of the assistance payment from 9 months to 15 months and clarified that individuals who lose coverage due to an involuntary termination of employment on or before February 28, 2010 are eligible to receive the assistance payment, even if their COBRA coverage begins after February 28, 2010.
Finally, the Act also provided for new notification requirements. The Act did not increase the amount of the assistance payment, nor did it expand the qualifying events that make individuals eligible for the assistance payment.
For your reference, the US Department of Labor has issued a fact sheet explaining the current state of COBRA laws.