Pacific Northwest Chapter Webinar - January 8

Chapter Event

Webinar: COBRA
January 8, 2025
10:30 am

Most employer-sponsored group health plans must comply with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), which sets standards to protect employee benefits. One of the protections contained in ERISA is the right to COBRA continuation coverage, a temporary continuation of group health coverage that would otherwise be lost due to certain life events. This presentation will go over which plans are subject to COBRA requirements, what makes an individual entitled to an offer of COBRA continuation, required notices and timelines, duration of coverage, and alternative coverage options.

Take-aways:

• An individual will be entitled to COBRA if 3 basic requirements are met:
  • 1) The individual’s group health plan is subject to COBRA (plan coverage);
  • 2) A qualifying event (QE) occurs, and 3) The individual is a qualified beneficiary (QB).
• COBRA continuation coverage is generally available for up to 18-36 months depending on the QE (e.g. job termination, divorce, or loss of dependent status under the plan rules) and the type of QB (e.g. employee, spouse, or dependent).
•  COBRA continuation laws provide minimum requirements, meaning the plan sponsor may be more generous than the law requires so long as the plan sponsor is consistent in its administration for all similarly situated individuals