usa.gov COBRA Continuation Health Coverage
Organisation : Government of USA
Scheme Name : COBRA Continuation Health Coverage
Applicable For :USA Workers & Their Families
Website : https://www.usa.gov/unemployment#item-35882
What is COBRA Continuation Health Coverage?
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) health benefit provisions amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Internal Revenue Code and the Public Health Service Act to require group health plans to provide a temporary continuation of group health coverage that otherwise might be terminated.
Related / Similar Scheme : USA Temporary Assistance For Needy Families (TANF)
How To Get COBRA Continuation Coverage?
To Get COBRA Continuation Coverage, the procedure are given below,
You can apply for and enroll in Medicaid or CHIP any time of year. If you qualify, your coverage begins immediately.
Visit HealthCare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 (TTY 1-855-889-4325) for more information or to apply for these programs.
You can also apply for Medicaid by contacting your state Medicaid office and learn more about the CHIP program in your state by calling 1-877-KIDS-NOW (543-7669) or visiting
Apply link : https://www.insurekidsnow.gov/
Eligibility Criteria
1. There are three basic requirements that must be met for you to elect COBRA continuation coverage:
**Your group health plan must be covered by COBRA
**A qualifying event must occur. This could be voluntary or involuntary job loss, reduction in the hours worked, transition between jobs, death, or divorce.
**You must be a qualified beneficiary for that event
2. If you are entitled to COBRA continuation coverage, you must be given at least 60 days to decide whether to elect it.
Qualifying Events
Qualifying events are events that cause an individual to lose his or her group
health coverage. The type of qualifying event determines who the qualified beneficiaries are for that event and the period of time that a plan must offer continuation coverage. COBRA establishes only the minimum requirements for continuation coverage. A plan may always choose to provide longer periods of continuation coverage.
The following are qualifying events for covered employees if they cause the covered employee to lose coverage:
** Termination of the employee’s employment for any reason other than gross misconduct; or
** Reduction in the number of hours of employment.
The following are qualifying events for the spouse and dependent child of a covered employee if they
cause the spouse or dependent child to lose coverage:
** Termination of the covered employee’s employment for any reason other than gross misconduct;
** Reduction in the hours worked by the covered employee;
** Covered employee becomes entitled to Medicare;
** Divorce or legal separation of the spouse from the covered employee; or
** Death of the covered employee.
In addition to the above, the following is a qualifying event for a dependent child of a covered
employee if it causes the child to lose coverage:
** Loss of dependent child status under the plan rules. Under the Affordable Care Act, plans that offer coverage to children on their parents’ plan must make the coverage available until the adult child reaches the age of 26.
Qualified Beneficiaries
A qualified beneficiary is an individual covered by a group health plan on the
day before a qualifying event occurred that caused him or her to lose coverage. Only certain individuals can become qualified beneficiaries due to a qualifying event, and the type of qualifying event determines who can become a qualified beneficiary when it happens. A qualified beneficiary must be a covered employee, the employee’s spouse or former spouse, or the employee’s dependent child. In certain cases involving the bankruptcy of the employer sponsoring the plan, a retired employee, the retired employee’s spouse or former spouse, and the retired employee’s dependent children may be qualified beneficiaries. In addition, any child born to or placed for adoption with a covered employee during a period of continuation coverage is automatically considered a qualified beneficiary. An employer’s agents, independent contractors, and directors who participate in the group health plan may
also be qualified beneficiaries.
FAQ on COBRA Continuation Health Coverage
Frequently Asked Question FAQ on COBRA Continuation Health Coverage are given below,
1. How do I become eligible for COBRA continuation coverage?
To be eligible for COBRA coverage, you must have been enrolled in your employer’s health plan when you worked and the health plan must continue to be in effect for active employees. COBRA continuation coverage is available upon the occurrence of a qualifying event that would, except for the COBRA continuation coverage, cause an individual to lose his or her health care coverage
2. How do I find out about COBRA coverage?
Group health plans must provide covered employees and their families with certain notices explaining their COBRA rights. Your COBRA rights must be described in the plan’s Summary Plan Description (SPD), which you should receive within 90 days after you first become a participant in the plan.