COBRA HELP

mrsbowden

I am also new to the COBRA world and I am looking for major help. I have read many of the other posts and would still like some better information about the entire process.

I understand the initial notice ***Which if anyone has a good copy I would love to have***

I also understand the termination election notice. Is this all I need to be sending out, I read that there are 7 forms ??? Do I need to send all of those. x:-/ I am sure I have started to sound like a broken record :-S, maybe it would help if those willing would just step me through your COBRA process? :-?

skyrocket

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 07-22-03 AT 03:40PM (CST)[/font][p]There are numerous "notification" events.

1. Initial notice (don't forget to send this if an employee acquires new dependents after his/her initial enrollment date).

2. Notice upon Qualifying Event (when the employee and/or dependents lose coverage on the group plan).

3. Notice to plan participants at the time of the Plan's Open Enrollment.

4. Notice of Conversion/End of Coverage Period. 180 days prior to the date coverage is due to expire, you must sent a notice to that effect and advise participants if there is a conversion option available at the end of the COBRA period.

5. (Department of Labor Proposed Regs effective 1/1/04.) If an individual applies for COBRA coverage and is not eligible. In this “event” a
COBRA Notice of Ineligibility must be sent advising such individual(s) that they are not eligible for COBRA coverage.

The following are not "required" - but highly suggested

6. Information at the time a Second Qualifying Event occurs during a period of COBRA coverage (such as divorce, etc.)

7. Information in the event of a Total Disability Determination (which gives plan participants 29 total months of coverage).

8. Whenever COBRA coverage is terminated earlier than the full time period for which COBRA continuation coverage is available (such as non payment, etc.)

Some states have additional notification requirements. California has two requirements (for example) in addition to the 5 requirements shown above.

Hope this helps.

mrsbowden

This was a great help! Thank you so very much. Do you (or anyone else) have any suggestions on books or how to's for people like me that are just learning about COBRA?
Thanks again

skyrocket

Hmmmm....I don't know what is out there as I learned all my COBRA stuff when it first came out and have updated my knowledge as new things were added to the law. Perhaps someone else has a handy "how to do" guide...

Donna Banker

AE Roberts has some really good ERISA/HIPAA/COBRA seminars a few times a year in WV; I've been to a couple in Charleston. These seminars, forums like this one, and learning from searches online is what has brought me pretty much up to speed where COBRA is concerned (at least COBRA doesn't scare me anymore!). Their website is aeroberts.com.

LarryC

AE Roberts does an excellent job on their seminars for FMLA, HIPAA, COBRA, and any other forced acronyms the government blesses us with.

clarkbar

You may want to contact your health insurance carrier. Mine was nice enough to provide a booklet entitled "Continuing Health Care Coverage ~ An employer's guide to continuing health care coverage for former employees and their beneficiaries". This 60-some page booklet explains COBRA in a Q & A format and is very informative. Your carrier may have something comparable.

skyrocket

I was looking for some COBRA stuff on-line and came across this...
[url]http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/cobra99.pdf[/url]

It is the DOL's COBRA guide.

mrsbowden

Skyrocket,
I checked out this address and the document seems to be incomplete, a few pages on it are blank. Do you have a entire copy? Thanks again

skyrocket

Hi:
I opened the website and it is complete (no missing pages). Some pages are blank because it is a brochure.

Tip: When at the site, do "Control/End" to get to the end of the document. It is quite long and a pdf and loads slowly.

Mentel

The best COBRA Seminar available are through Cobra Resources out of Kalamazoo Michigan The phone number is 616-383-1080. These are run by Matt Isbell. He makes them entertaining and easy to understand. He provides templates for forms, etc.

E Wart

If you have never administered COBRA, you might want to talk with your insurance carrier to see if they provide this service (for what I call a minimum fee.) I have done it all before and it can be very time consuming. We now send out initial letter, but our TPA does the rest for us. What a relief!!
E Wart