ESTIMATES OF GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE BY INDUSTRY INDICATE THAT EXTENDED PROTECTION DURING LAYOFF IS GUARANTEED TO NO MORE THAN A TENTH OF THE APPROXIMATELY 50 MILLION WORKERS COVERED BY GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS. THIS COVERAGE HAS LARGELY DEVELOPED DURING THE PAST 15 YEARS. FRAGMENTARY DATA SUGGEST THAT INCREASED COST ATTRIBUTABLE TO EXTENSION WOULD BE RELATIVELY SMALL IN RELATION TO THE COST OF THE ENTIRE GROUP INSURANCE PLAN. MOST COMMERCIAL INSURERS NOW CONSIDER THE EXTENSION OF COVERAGE FOR LIMITED PERIODS DURING TEMPORARY LAYOFFS AS A FEASIBLE UNDERWRITING PRACTICE. TYPICALLY, THE ISSUE OF EXTENDED LAYOFF COVERAGE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE BARGAINING TABLE BY THE UNION AS A PART OF A HEALTH INSURANCE PACKAGE DEMAND, BUT THE BENEFIT HAS AT TIMES BEEN INITIATED BY MANAGEMENT. DESPITE A GENERAL LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF HEALTH INSURANCE PROVISIONS AND POLICIES, MOST WORKERS DEMONSTRATED AN AWARENESS OF THEIR BENEFITS AND AN APPRECIATION OF THEIR VALUE. EMPLOYER PRACTICES WITH REGARD TO NOTIFYING WORKERS OF THEIR BENEFIT RIGHTS VARY FROM FORMAL EXIT INTERVIEWS AT WHICH RIGHTS AND BENEFITS ARE EXPLAINED TO ISSUING "PINK SLIPS" AND LEAVING WORKERS TO THEIR OWN DEVICES. THIS ARTICLE IS A REPRINT FROM THE "MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW," AUGUST 1966. (EM)