Health Benefits Advisor

Death of Covered Employee

The death of a covered employee can affect the health coverage available to you and your family. Knowing your options and understanding your rights may prevent a loss of your health coverage due to the death of the covered employee.

Depending on your circumstances, you and your family members may have the opportunity to elect COBRA continuation coverage at group rates from the group health plan under which you were covered prior to the death of the covered employee. You and your family members may also have the right to enroll in a group health plan sponsored by your employer, employee organization (such as a union), or both. There also may be health coverage opportunities available to you outside the group health plan context.

Before making any decisions, you should carefully consider the information on COBRA continuation coverage and any other coverage for which you and your family members may be eligible to determine which one best meets your needs.

Which type of coverage would you like to consider?

• Enrollment in a group health plan offered through my job
• COBRA continuation coverage from my deceased spouse's group health plan
• Medicaid - Provides government-sponsored health coverage to eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults and people with disabilities. Medicaid is administered by states, according to federal requirements.
• Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) - Provides government-sponsored health coverage to uninsured, eligible children. CHIP is administered by states, according to federal requirements. States have flexibility to design their own program within federal guidelines, so benefits vary by state and by the type of CHIP program.
• Medicare - A Federally funded health benefits program for people aged 65 and over, and for certain people under 65 who are disabled or have permanent kidney failure.
• Other Health Coverage - This category includes coverage from another source such as individually purchased health coverage, coverage through a club or association or any other source not listed above.