What are the 7 COBRA qualifying events in California?
Asked by: Santiago Rau | Last update: September 4, 2025Score: 4.7/5 (62 votes)
Which of the following is not a qualifying event to trigger COBRA coverage?
Taking a leave of absence under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) is not a COBRA qualifying event because FMLA requires a covered employer to maintain group health plan benefits for an employee so the employee has no coverage loss.
What is the 60 days COBRA loophole?
You have 60 days to enroll in COBRA once your employer-sponsored benefits end. Even if your enrollment is delayed, you will be covered by COBRA starting the day your prior coverage ended.
What are examples of a qualifying event?
- Gaining a dependent or becoming a dependent through birth or adoption.
- Getting married.
- Applicant or dependent lost minimum essential coverage due to termination or change in employment status.
- Cessation of an employer's contribution toward an employee or dependents coverage.
Who qualifies for California COBRA?
Cal-COBRA applies to employers and group health plans that cover from two to 19 employees. (Note that Cal-COBRA also applies to employers with more than 20 employees when an employee has exhausted his or her 18 months of federal COBRA benefits.)
COBRA Insurance | What You Need to Know
What disqualifies you from COBRA?
Why would an employee not qualify to enroll in Cal-COBRA? The employee is enrolled in or eligible for Medicare. The employee does not enroll within 60 days of receiving the notice of eligibility from the employer. The employee is covered by another health plan.
How do you determine COBRA eligibility?
COBRA eligibility has three basic requirements that must be met for you to get a continuation of coverage: Your group health plan must be covered by COBRA. A qualifying event must occur. You must be a qualified beneficiary for that event.
Is coming off COBRA a qualifying event?
Losing COBRA Benefits
Here's the good news: Rolling off of COBRA coverage is a qualifying event that opens a special enrollment period for you to purchase your own health coverage. And you'll have more options, flexibility and control of your health plan outside of COBRA with an individual health insurance plan.
How do you prove qualifying life events?
- Marriage license for marriage.
- Divorce papers for divorce.
- Birth certificate for the birth of a child.
- Adoption papers for adoption.
- Death certificate for a change in household due to death.
- Written job offer for employment-related moves.
Why am I not eligible for Covered California?
You do not have other health coverage (such as free Medi-Cal or employer-sponsored insurance) that prevents you from qualifying for insurance through Covered California. Covered California stated that you are not a California resident. Covered California stated that you did not pay your premiums by your due date.
How much does COBRA typically cost per month?
COBRA coverage is not cheap.
A COBRA premium can cost on average $400 to $700 a month per person.
How long can you stay on COBRA in California?
If you get COBRA, you must pay for the entire premium, including any portion that your employer may have paid in the past. This means your payment is often more expensive than what you paid as an employee. You can collect COBRA benefits for up to 18 months. This may be extended to 36 months under certain circumstances.
What is the 105 day COBRA loophole?
So, if you maxed out the 60 day election period plus the 45 day payment period, you could actually go 105 days without paying for the coverage.
What are the 7 COBRA qualifying events?
The seven COBRA qualifying events that allow individuals to maintain their employer-sponsored health insurance include termination of employment for reasons other than gross misconduct, reduction in the number of work hours, divorce or legal separation from the covered employee, the covered employee becoming entitled ...
What is not covered under COBRA?
COBRA also does not cover plans that provide only life insurance or disability benefits, as those benefits are not considered “medical care.”
Why is COBRA so expensive?
Why is COBRA more expensive than employer-sponsored insurance? COBRA is more expensive because the individual is responsible for the entire premium amount without the employer's financial contribution that is provided during active employment.
What is not a qualifying life event?
Is Changing Jobs a Qualifying Life Event? No, changing jobs within an organization is not a qualifying life event. Your employer-based coverage will remain the same until you have the opportunity to make changes during the open enrollment period.
Can I buy health insurance and use it immediately?
Many, but not all, short term health insurance plans can take effect the day after your application is received.
Is cobra retroactive?
COBRA is always retroactive to the day after your employer coverage ends. So, you'll need to pay your premiums for that period too.
What is not a COBRA qualifying event?
Coverage provided under the FMLA is not COBRA coverage, and taking FMLA leave is not a qualifying event under COBRA.
Is resignation a COBRA qualifying event?
For “covered employees,” the only qualifying event is termination of employment (whether the termination is voluntary or involuntary) including by retirement, or reduction of employment hours. In that case, COBRA lasts for eighteen months.
What to do when a COBRA is too expensive?
If you decide COBRA is too expensive, consider a Marketplace health insurance plan for your coverage needs.
How much does COBRA cost per month?
This means health plan costs could jump to over $717 per month for an individual opting into COBRA, including the extra fee, and to over $2,037 per month for family coverage. To help defray some of the steep costs associated with COBRA coverage, you can use funds in your health savings account (HSA) to cover premiums.
What is the difference between Cal COBRA and COBRA?
Unlike COBRA, church plans are eligible under Cal-COBRA. Cal-COBRA does not apply to individual health insurance. As of January 1, 2003, the extension period for Cal-COBRA has been changed from 18 months to 36 months.
Is it better to use COBRA or obamacare?
ACA plans may offer significant cost savings through subsidies that aren't available under COBRA. By transitioning to an ACA plan, you can often find more affordable coverage without waiting until COBRA expires, giving you flexibility in managing your healthcare costs.