My employer has not provided COBRA info & health insurance runs out 2/29, what can I do?

Question

I've just come from the Dept of Labor website but I don't see where it addresses how you can elect COBRA if you don't have the paperwork to start the process. Also it says the first COBRA payment must be made 45 days from qualifying event. Is the qualifying event the date of termination of my job, of the date my health coverage ends?

Here's where I already struggled with the legalese:

http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/FAQs/faq_complia...

Answer 1

Contact the HR dept, and if that fails, contact the ins company.....

Answer 2

Contact your former employer and tell them you want to elect COBRA.  If they haven't offered you COBRA you can get it, they have 30 days to offer you COBRA and you have 45 days from the date it was offered to take it.  It will go back retroactive to the date your insurance termed, so be prepared to pay.

Answer 3

I think you may have misunderstood what you read. Your employer has 30 days to notify the carrier of your termination (which is the qualifying event). Then the carrier has 14 days to send you the COBRA paperwork. You have 60 days to elect COBRA and from that election date, THATS when the 45 days for payment begins. So contact your HR dept. or carrier and find out where they are in this timeline.