ACT QUICKLY FOR COBRA COVERAGE!

COBRA is short for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. It requires continuation of group health and/or dental insurance coverage be offered to you and your covered dependents if you are no longer eligible for coverage due to a qualifying event.

You can continue your coverage for a limited time under COBRA if you and/or your covered dependents lose coverage because:

• The covered employee’s working hours are reduced from full-time to part-time
• The covered employee voluntarily quits work, retires, is laid off or fired (unless the firing is due to gross misconduct)
• The covered employee is separated or divorced from his spouse
• A child no longer qualifies as a dependent
• The covered employee or the parent of an eligible dependent child becomes eligible for Medicare.

To qualify for continuation of coverage, you must notify your benefits office or EIP within 60 days of the date you become divorced or separated, the date your dependent child becomes ineligible for coverage or from the date coverage would have been lost if the event had been reported in a timely manner. Otherwise, your rights to continuation of coverage under COBRA will be forfeited.

To continue coverage under COBRA, you must complete and return a COBRA Notice of Election to Employee Insurance Programs within 60 days of the event or from when coverage would have been lost due to the event, whichever is later.