Health Benefits Advisor for Employers

Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)

Plan Compliance Results

COBRA requires group health plans to offer continuation coverage to covered employees, former employees, spouses, former spouses, and dependent children when group health coverage would otherwise be lost due to certain specific events. Those events include the death of a covered employee, termination or reduction in the hours of a covered employee's employment for reasons other than gross misconduct, a covered employee's becoming entitled to Medicare, divorce or legal separation of a covered employee and spouse, and a child's loss of dependent status (and therefore eligibility for coverage) under the plan.

COBRA sets rules for how and when continuation coverage must be offered and provided, how employees and their families may elect continuation coverage, and what circumstances justify terminating continuation coverage.

Note: If you would like to review the information provided within this Advisor, you may select that issue above and it will take you back to that section in the Health Benefits Advisor where you can reread the description and answer the question again. This Advisor provides general guidance and users are encouraged to review their specific health plan or health plan options in conjunction with the general information provided. In addition, the Advisor does not address health benefits offered through Federal, state, or local government plans or church plans.

Coordination With Other Federal Benefit Laws
You may need to consider other Federal benefit laws when applying COBRA rights and responsibilities. For more information on the coordination of these other laws, please see:

• The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
• The Trade Act of 2002

For more information on COBRA visit:

• An Employer's Guide to Group Health Continuation Coverage Under COBRA
• Reporting and Disclosure Guide For Employee Benefit Plans
• Fact Sheet
• Frequently Asked Questions About COBRA
• COBRA General and Election Model Notices (English and Spanish)
• DOL Statute
• DOL Regulations
• IRS Regulations

For more information on Compliance Assistance visit:

• Compliance Assistance for Health Plans
• Correction Programs
• Other Publications

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides additional health protections. This website does not reflect the passage of the ACA. For an overview of the Affordable Care Act, please visit the ACA Summary. For regulations, guidance and additional information, please visit the Department of Labor's ACA webpage.

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