The following information is from the United States Department of Labor’s web site. Since this COBRA article (or booklet, as the article refers to it) from dol.gov has an abundance of information, we will break the article up into sections over the next several weeks. We hope that you find the information valuable.

  

  

 

An Employee’s Guide to Health Benefits Under COBRA -The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act 

 Note: This publication contains information about the COBRA premium reduction provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). This publication has not been updated for recent amendments made to ARRA. For updated information on ARRA and its amendments, please see the COBRA Premium Reduction Fact Sheet.

Introduction

Health insurance programs help workers and their families take care of their essential medical needs. These programs can be one of the most important benefits provided by an employer.

There was a time when employer-provided group health coverage was at risk if an employee was fired, changed jobs, or got divorced. That substantially changed in 1986 with the passage of the health benefit provisions in the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). Now, many employees and their families who would lose group health coverage because of serious life events are able to continue their coverage under the employer’s group health plan, at least for limited periods of time.

This booklet explains your rights under COBRA to a temporary extension of employer-provided group health coverage, called COBRA continuation coverage.

This booklet is designed to:

  • Provide a general explanation of your COBRA rights and responsibilities;
  • Outline the COBRA rules that group health plans must follow;
  • Highlight your rights to benefits while you are receiving COBRA continuation coverage. (continue reading…)