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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 had an abundance of information, we have broken up the article into 10 sections over the past several weeks. This article concludes the series and contains valuable resources and contact information that you may find beneficial.

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.

Role of the Federal Government

COBRA continuation coverage laws are administered by several agencies. The Departments of Labor and Treasury have jurisdiction over private-sector group health plans. The Department of Health and Human Services administers the continuation coverage law as it affects public-sector health plans.

The Labor Department’s interpretive responsibility for COBRA is limited to the disclosure and notification requirements of COBRA. The Labor Department has issued regulations on the COBRA notice provisions. The Treasury Department has interpretive responsibility to define the required continuation coverage. The Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, has issued regulations on COBRA provisions relating to eligibility, coverage, and payment. The Departments of Labor and Treasury share jurisdiction for enforcement of these provisions.

Resources
If you need further information about COBRA, ARRA, the 2010 DOD Act, ERISA, or HIPAA, call toll free 1-866-444-EBSA (3272) to reach the Employee Benefits Security Administration regional office nearest you, or visit the agency’s Web site.

For information about the interaction of COBRA and HIPAA, visit the EBSA Web site and click on Your Health Plan and HIPAA…Making the Law Work for You.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services offer information about COBRA provisions for public-sector employees. You can write them at this address:

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
7500 Security Boulevard
Mail Stop C1-22-06
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850

Federal employees are covered by a Federal law similar to COBRA. Those employees should contact the personnel office serving their agency for more information on temporary extensions of health benefits.

Further information on FMLA is available from the nearest office of the Wage and Hour Division, listed in most telephone directories under U.S. Government, Department of Labor.

For questions about TAA, call the HCTC Customer Contact Center at 1.866.628.HCTC (4282) (TDD/TTY: 1.866.626.HCTC (4282)). You may also visit the HCTC Web site.

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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.

Alternatives to COBRA Continuation Coverage

If you become entitled to elect COBRA continuation coverage when you otherwise would lose group health coverage under a group health plan, you should consider all options you may have to get other health coverage before you make your decision. One option may be “special enrollment” into other group health coverage.

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), if you or your dependents are losing eligibility for group health coverage, including eligibility for continuation coverage, you may have a right to special enroll (enroll without waiting until the next open season for enrollment) in other group health coverage. For example, an employee losing eligibility for group health coverage may be able to special enroll in a spouse’s plan. A dependent losing eligibility for group health coverage may be able to enroll in a different parent’s group health plan. To have a special enrollment opportunity, you or your dependent must have had other health coverage when you previously declined coverage in the plan in which you now want to enroll. To special enroll, you or your dependent must request special enrollment within 30 days of the loss of other coverage.

If you or your dependent chooses to elect COBRA continuation coverage instead of special enrollment, you will have another opportunity to request special enrollment once you have exhausted your continuation coverage. In order to exhaust COBRA continuation coverage, you or your dependent must receive the maximum period of continuation coverage available without early termination. You must request special enrollment within 30 days of the loss of continuation coverage.

Another option may be to buy an individual health insurance policy. HIPAA gives individuals who are losing group health coverage and who have at least 18 months of creditable coverage without a break in coverage of 63 days or more the right to buy individual health insurance coverage that does not impose a preexisting condition exclusion period. For this purpose, most health coverage, including COBRA continuation coverage, is creditable coverage. These special rights may not be available to you if you do not elect and receive continuation coverage. For more information on your right to buy individual health insurance coverage, contact your state department of insurance.

In addition, individuals in a family may be eligible for health insurance coverage through various state programs. For more information, contact your state department of insurance.

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The following information is from the Department of Labor’s website and is full of valuable information for all of us!

The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) administers several important health benefit laws covering employer-based health plans. They govern your basic rights to information about how your health plan works, how to qualify for benefits, and how to make claims for benefits. In addition, there are specific laws protecting your right to health benefits when you lose coverage or change jobs. EBSA oversees health care laws covering special medical conditions. For more information on the laws that protect your benefits, see EBSA’s Web site at www.dol.gov/ebsa. Or, call the agency’s toll-free help line at 1.866.444.3272 to reach a regional office near you. These 10 tips can help make your health benefits work better for you.

Realize that Your Options are Important

There are many different types of health benefit plans. Find out which one your employer offers, then check out the plan, or plans, offered. Your employer’s human resource office, the health plan administrator, or your union can provide information to help you match your needs and preferences with the available plans. If your employer offers a high deductible health plan, look into setting up a Health Savings Account to save money for future medical expenses on a tax-free basis. The more information you have, the better your health care decisions will be.

Review the Benefits Available

Do the plans offered cover preventive care, well-baby care, vision or dental care? Are there deductibles? Answers to these questions can help determine the out-of-pocket expenses you may face. Matching your needs and those of your family members will result in the best possible benefits. Cheapest may not always be best. Your goal is high quality health benefits.

Read Your Plan’s Summary Plan Description (SPD) for the Wealth of Information It Provides

Your health plan administrator should provide a copy. It outlines your benefits and your legal rights under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the federal law that protects your health benefits. It should contain information about the coverage of dependents, what services will require a co-pay, and the circumstances under which your employer can change or terminate a health benefits plan. Save the SPD and all other health plan brochures and documents, along with memos or correspondence from your employer relating to health benefits. (continue reading…)