COBRA Continuation Coverage

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) of 1985 (enacted July 1, 1986), requires that employers with 20 or more employees and maintain group health plans (includes medical, dental, and vision coverage) offer continuation of benefit coverage for a specific period of time to covered employees, spouses, *domestic partners (*State of California Legislation, not federal law), and dependent children who lose group coverage due to a "qualifying event".

Qualified Beneficiary

The term "qualified beneficiary" means, an individual that is eligible to continue group coverage because of a qualifying event. The individual must have been covered under the plan before the qualifying event date. If the individual was not covered, he or she is not eligible for COBRA.

Open Enrollment is October 10, 2011 through November 4, 2011

COBRA participants have the same rights as active employee to make allowable changes to their health and dental coverage during open enrollment. Instructions will be sent to COBRA participants enrolled in Dental.

Open Enrollment forms must be signed and submitted to the plan or it's designee no later than November 4, 2011. All open enrollment actions will be effective January 1, 2012.

If you are not making any changes to your COBRA coverage you do not need to do anything.

For general COBRA information please see the links below:

• Qualifying Events
• Premium Payments
• 2012 COBRA Premiums
• Termination of Coverage
• Frequently Asked Questions

For More Information

Employees should contact their personnel office for more information.

Updated October 7, 2011 at 6:24 PM.