If you’ve recently left jobs or lost health coverage, you may have had someone mention COBRA. (No, we’re not talking about the snake). COBRA – also known as the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act – requires group health plans to offer continuation coverage to covered employees, former employees, spouses, former spouses, and dependent children when group health coverage would otherwise be lost due to certain events. COBRA insurance allows you to keep your employer-sponsored plan temporarily, but it comes with a hefty price tag. Who is eligible for COBRA? COBRA is available for people who quit their job or are: Laid off Fired and it
Covered California vs. COBRA
If you’ve lost health insurance coverage due to a qualifying event such as losing a job or leaving a job, you have a few options to remain insured. Some individuals prefer to continue their employer sponsored coverage through COBRA, others prefer to purchase insurance directly from the private marketplace. For those eligible for premium subsidies, Covered California may also be a good option. Regardless of which option is chosen, an employee has 60 days from the former health plan end date to apply for coverage through COBRA, Covered California, or the Private Exchange. Here are the different options for remaining insured after a change in
COBRA Continuation Coverage Assistance Under
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides for a 65% reduction in COBRA premiums for certain assistance eligible individuals for up to 9 months. An assistance eligible individual is a COBRA “qualified beneficiary” who meets all of the following requirements: Please visit The US Department Of Labor website for current COBRA Continuation Coverage Assistance. http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/cobra.html
COBRA Notification Updates with Stimulus
It is not often you hear stimulus and COBRA in the same sentence but consider that a gift from the federal government. President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17. It is a 600+ page new law intended to stimulate growth and jobs in light of the economic downturn. Part of the law directs the creation of Recovery.gov – a Web site that will be updated with the new requirements, including issuance of contracts needing new employees. For employers and HR professionals specifically, Title III of the Act – Health Insurance Assistance for the Unemployed – provides offsets for
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 – COBRA Provisions
I recieved this message from a COBRA provider I partner with. This message follows up on the COBRA provisions in the economic stimulus bill, formally titled the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the “Act”), which reached final Congressional approval late on Friday, February 13, 2009. The 1,073 page bill has a final price tag of $787 billion and combines tax cuts aimed at stimulating the economy right away, with longer term government spending on public works projects in the health care, energy and technology sectors. The House and Senate both voted along strongly partisan lines, with no Republicans approving the bill in the