We are not COBRA. For specific contract details about your current company policy, contact your health plan administrator.
Re: Voluntary Termination of Employment with Family to insure
In Reply to: Voluntary Termination of Employment with Family to insure posted by Daniels on June 10, 2005 at 09:53:06:
Here is some information for you. Basically if your company has more thatn 20 employees and you have the insurance they or a company working for them should notify you of your right to COBRA in 60 days. You may stay on the plan for 18months and usually pay the full amount. The best place to find your answer is your employer since it is initiated by them, however I can see your reluctance if they do not know you are leaving. It is possible there is information in an employee hand book.
The federal Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, also known as COBRA, was intended to guarantee that working Americans who lose their jobs did not lose their health insurance. Before 1985, when COBRA was passed, terminated employees, or employees whose hours were cut back to the point that they lost group-insurance benefits, did not have that right. Too often, they simply found themselves without health insurance. Under COBRA, some measure of protection is available for employees, retirees, spouses and dependent children.
For a detailed look at the law and procedures involved in COBRA and other federal issues, you can visit the Department of Labor's site on pension and welfare benefits at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/newsroom/fscobra.html.
Under COBRA:
Employees who lose their employer-provided benefits and their eligible dependents may apply for and purchase those benefits at group rates and at their own expense.
COBRA most commonly guarantees extension of coverage for up to 18 months, although spouses and children may qualify for extensions of up to 36 month when they lose their dependent status.
Employees must be notified of their COBRA rights. Once theyve been notified of their eligibility, they have 60 days to accept coverage.
However, COBRA does not apply across the board. There are several important exceptions and criteria. The law generally applies only to employers who had 20 or more workers in the previous year, although seasonal-type operations may or may not qualify. State and local governments fall under COBRA, but the law does not apply to federal plans or to certain religious organizations. (Federal employees do have some similar rights under another law and should ask their personnel division for more information.) COBRA also generally does not apply to employees who are terminated for gross misconduct.