How to Apply for COBRA Health Insurance Continuation
The COBRA insurance law allows you to continue the group health plan you most recently had through an employer, whether you were the employee or covered as a dependent. COBRA is a continuation of that employer-sponsored plan and you begin enrollment with the employer or their benefits administrator.
What You Need to Know
- COBRA is a federal law that requires employers to allow eligible current and former employees (along with their dependents) to continue using their group health insurance if it were to stop. You'll enroll back into your same plan.
- The employer who sponsors the insurance or their third party administrator will send you application instructions.
- You have 60 days to decide to enroll in COBRA. When your premiums are paid up, the coverage is retroactived to the date it was lost.
- If you did not receive your COBRA continuation paperwork, you will need to contact the employer who provided the health insurance you were on.
Sign up for COBRA Insurance
Wait for your COBRA paperwork from your employer. This will include everything you need to apply and enroll back into your work health plan. Each employer handles COBRA a little differently. Some use third-party administrators with online portals, while others stick with paper forms through HR.
Important: If the employer uses a third-party administrator, the mail you receive may come directly from them instead of the company your health insurance was through.
COBRA Enrollment Timeline
Here are the steps of the COBRA timeline so you know what to expect after a qualifying event that ends your employer health insurance:
- At the time of a qualifying event, you become eligible for COBRA if you lose job-based coverage due to job loss, divorce, or the death of a covered employee.
- Within 30 days of the event, your employer must notify the plan administrator.
- Within 14 days of receiving notice, the plan administrator must send you a COBRA election notice.
- Within 60 days of receiving the notice, you may choose to enroll in COBRA coverage. Your deductibles will carry over. This is when you apply for COBRA continuation.
- Within 45 days after electing coverage, you must make your first premium payment.
- On the date your employer coverage ended, your COBRA coverage begins. COBRA is retroactive if you elect and pay on time.
- Up to 18 months of coverage is typical. Certain events, such as divorce or death, may extend coverage up to 36 months.
When Can I Apply For COBRA?
After your work insurance stops, you will have a 60-day special open enrollment period to enroll in health insurance. The following are the deadlines for enrolling in COBRA.
Employer Notice Must Be Sent Within 45 Days
Applying for COBRA begins with the employer who provided the health plan to notify you of your right to continuation. The employer has 30 days to notify the group health plan of the qualifying event. After that, the employer has 14 days to notify you of your COBRA right to keep your work health insurance.
In total, the employer has 45 days to send the COBRA election notice to continue your health plan.
You Have 60 Days To Sign Up For COBRA And Enroll
Once you receive your COBRA enrollment forms from your previous employer, you have 60 days to elect the plan or waive your right to continue. If you have questions regarding how to re-enroll, you’ll want to reach out to the employer's human resources department and ask for the COBRA Administrator.
Coverage Will Begin Immediately & It's Retroactive
Your COBRA insurance will start immediately after making your first premium payment. The coverage is retroactive, to the date the plan initially stopped. There will not be a lapse or gap in your coverage.
If you have incurred out-of-pocket expenses between the time the coverage stopped and then started, you may be reimbursed by your carrier.
Missing Your COBRA Election Notice?
If you lose your COBRA enrollment paperwork, contact the former employer's Human Resources department or the COBRA administrator as soon as possible. Ask them to send you a new copy.
Non-Compliance By Employer
Employers with 20 or more full-time workers are compelled by law to offer you a continuation of your most recent health insurance plan.
If the business fails to send you a notification, your first step should be to contact their HR Department and ask for their COBRA Administrator to send your notice of continuation for enrollment.
If the employer fails to send the paperwork in a timely manner, you may file a report with the Department of Labor.
COBRA Health Insurance Covers Pre-Existing Conditions
Your former work health insurance is Affordable Care Act certified. The most important reason to get COBRA is, that it's a major medical policy that provides coverage for pre-existing conditions that result in procedures and visits to medical providers.
Frequently Asked Questions
The COBRA timeline begins when a qualifying event occurs, such as job loss, divorce, or the death of a covered employee. Your employer has 30 days to notify the plan administrator, who then has 14 days to send you a COBRA election notice. You have 60 days from receiving that notice to decide whether to enroll, and your deductibles carry over if you choose COBRA. After you elect coverage, you have 45 days to make your first premium payment. COBRA coverage starts the day your employer coverage ended and is retroactive if you elect and pay on time. Coverage typically lasts up to 18 months, with certain events allowing extensions up to 36 months.
Employers have up to 45 days after a qualifying event to send you the COBRA election notice. If you haven't received your paperwork within that timeframe, you should contact your former employer’s HR department immediately.
You must apply for COBRA within 60 days of receiving your COBRA election notice. This 60-day window is your formal election period, and missing it means you lose the right to continue your employer-sponsored health coverage.
You can usually find the COBRA Administrator’s contact information on the COBRA election notice you receive from your employer. If you haven't received your notice yet or misplaced it, contact your former employer’s Human Resources (HR) department directly and ask who is managing COBRA benefits for your plan.
If you did not receive a COBRA election notice in a timely manner, you may have additional rights. You can contact your former employer or file a complaint with the Department of Labor.
Schedule A Consult
We can help you find an affordable health plan before your next major medical health coverage begins.
Schedule Call / Add To Calendar – Choose Date And Time
