If you or any dependents are on Medicare prior to the qualifying event, you might want to take the COBRA coverage as you cannot be on the retiree plan if you are entitled to Medicare unless your Retiree plan has over-65 coverage.. Yes, as long as you maintain continuous coverage and you were covered under a public employer retiree plan.

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.

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.

Employers must notify plan administrators of a qualifying event within 30 days after an employee's death, termination, reduced hours of employment or entitlement to Medicare. A qualified beneficiary must notify the plan administrator of a qualifying event within 60 days after divorce or legal separation or a child's ceasing to be covered as a dependent under plan rules.

When you were an active employee, your employer may have paid all or part of your group health premiums. Under COBRA, as a former employee no longer receiving benefits, you will usually pay the entire premium amount, that is, the portion of the premium that you paid as an active employee and the amount of the contribution made by your employer. In addition, there may be a 2 percent administrative fee.

The employer "must notify the plan administrator...within 30 days...of the date of" the following qualifying events: The "qualifying event" in this context means the date of the triggering event, not the date that coverage is lost.

The Getty will notify the affected family member within 30 days after an employee's death, termination, reduced hours of employment or entitlement to Medicare. If you get divorced, enter into a legal separation, terminate a registered same-sex domestic partnership or a child ceases to be eligible under plan rules, you must notify HR Benefits of the qualifying event within 60 days of the event.

Under COBRA, participants, covered spouses and dependent children may continue their plan coverage for a limited time when they would otherwise lose coverage due to a particular event, such as divorce (or legal separation). A covered employee's spouse who would lose coverage due to a divorce may elect continuation coverage under the plan for a maximum of 36 months. A qualified beneficiary must notify the plan administrator of a qualifying event within 60 days after divorce or legal separation.

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.

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.

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.

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

You are covered by a federally established health insurance or prepaid health care plan, such as Medicare, Medicaid or medical care benefits provided for military dependents and military retirees and their dependents; You are a recipient of public assistance or covered by a State-Legislated health care plan governing medical assistance; or You are a follower of a religious group that depends upon prayer or other spiritual means for healing.