COBRA coverage begins on the date that health care coverage would otherwise have been lost by reason of a qualifying event.

COBRA establishes required periods of coverage for continuation health benefits. A plan, however, may provide longer periods of coverage beyond those required by COBRA. COBRA beneficiaries generally are eligible for group coverage during a maximum of 18 months for qualifying events due to employment termination or reduction of hours of work.

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.

COBRA provides certain former employees, retirees, spouses, former spouses, and dependent children the right to temporary continuation of health coverage at group rates. This coverage, however, is only available when coverage is lost due to certain specific events.

Congress passed the landmark Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) health benefit provisions in 1986. The law amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Internal Revenue Code and the Public Health Service Act to provide continuation of group health coverage that otherwise might be terminated.

Beneficiaries may be required to pay for COBRA coverage. The premium cannot exceed 102 percent of the cost to the plan for similarly situated individuals who have not incurred a qualifying event, including both the portion paid by employees and any portion paid by the employer before the qualifying event, plus 2 percent for administrative costs.

Employers or health plan administrators must provide an initial general notice if you are entitled to COBRA benefits. You probably received the initial notice about COBRA coverage when you were hired. When you are no longer eligible for health coverage, your employer has to provide you with a specific notice regarding your rights to COBRA continuation benefits.

Materials should be sent to you after you leave the university. Please contact Benefits at 386-822-7058.

Coverage begins once the policy has been issued and all of the delivery requirements have been returned and accepted by the insuring company. Temporary coverage may be received while the policy is being underwritten. A conditional receipt can be issued for this during the application process.

The months of health care coverage is based on eligibility as determined by the Graduate School. For the academic year, 2007-08, the dates when coverage begins and ends is provided below. Students must enroll in the health insurance program to receive coverage. Two forms must be completed and approved.

University sponsored dental insurance coverage begins the first of the month following the date of employment. Employees may begin coverage from the first date of employment by paying the total monthly premium to the University. eligible employee who wishes coverage effective from the date of hire may do so by paying the total monthly premium to the University.

If an employee chooses to elect COBRA continuation of benefits, then there will be no interruption of coverage, as the continuation of benefits is effective on the same date that eligibility is lost.

If a qualified beneficiary waives COBRA coverage during the election period, he or she may revoke the waiver of coverage before the end of the election period. A beneficiary may then elect COBRA coverage. Then, the plan need only provide continuation coverage beginning on the date the waiver is revoked.

Yes. Under HIPAA any period of time that you are receiving COBRA continuation coverage is counted as previous health coverage as long as the coverage occurred without a break in coverage of 63 days or more. For example, if you were covered continuously for 5 months by a previous health plan and then received 7 months of COBRA continuation coverage, you would be entitled to receive credit for 12 months of coverage by your new group health plan. Not if you enroll when you are first eligible.

Qualified beneficiaries must be given an election period during which each qualified beneficiary may choose whether to elect COBRA coverage. Each qualified beneficiary may independently elect COBRA coverage. A covered employee or the covered employee's spouse may elect COBRA coverage on behalf of all other qualified beneficiaries. A parent or legal guardian may elect on behalf of a minor child. Qualified beneficiaries must be given at least 60 days for the election.

If a qualifying event is due to termination of employment, loss of coverage following leave without pay, or reduction in hours, a qualified beneficiary is entitled to a maximum of 18 months of continuation coverage. All other qualifying events entitle a qualified beneficiary up to 36 months of coverage. An 18-month continuation period may be extended to 36 months if a secondary qualifying event occurs during the initial 18-month continuation coverage period (e.g.

The participant becomes covered under another group health and/or dental plan on or after the COBRA coverage effective date unless the participant is subject to a pre-existing condition limitation or exclusion in the other group health plan. COBRA coverage will end when the new group health plan coverage begins and there is no limitation or exclusion for pre-existing conditions in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) (link).

COBRA coverage may be converted to an individual policy if you apply for conversion within thirty (30) days after the date your COBRA coverage expires or is cancelled, provided your premium payments are current. We will notify you forty-five (45) days before the expiration date. Please contact your health and/or dental carrier for specific information about conversion.

A plan may not require any payment until 45 days after the qualified beneficiary's initial election. If a qualified beneficiary fails to make the initial premium payment within the 45-day period, the plan administrator may terminate the COBRA coverage. Thereafter, payments are due on the first of each month, subject to a 30-day grace period. The provision of medical care through a cafeteria plan (as defined in Section 125) or other flexible benefit arrangement constitutes a group health plan.

If your application is received on or before the 20th of the month, your coverage will be effective on the first day of the next month. If your application is received after the 20th, coverage will take effect on the first day of the following month. For example, coverage for an application received May 19th will begin on June 1st. Coverage for an application received May 21st will begin July 1st.

Coverage commences after you have worked four consecutive weeks, at the earliest time the health care contractor can provide coverage. Usually, it is the first of the month following the month during which you met the eligibility criteria.

Coverage under a life insurance policy begins once the proposal made to the life insurance company is accepted and communicated and the person making the proposal has paid the first premium. Most companies provide some temporary conditional coverage during the application process assuming certain conditions are met. This temporary coverage is limited in time and amount. The availability, amount and conditions are described in the application and vary from company to company.