What is not a COBRA qualifying event?
Asked by: Jerod Monahan | Last update: January 12, 2026Score: 4.3/5 (42 votes)
Which is not a qualifying event under COBRA?
Group health coverage that is provided under the FMLA during a family or medical leave is not COBRA continuation coverage, and taking FMLA leave is not a qualifying event under COBRA.
What is not covered under COBRA?
Life insurance is not considered 'medical care,' nor are disability benefits; and COBRA does not cover plans that provide only life insurance or disability benefits."
Which of the following is a COBRA qualifying event?
The following are qualifying events: the death of the covered employee; a covered employee's termination of employment or reduction of the hours of employment; the covered employee becoming entitled to Medicare; divorce or legal separation from the covered employee; or a dependent child ceasing to be a dependent under ...
Which one of the following is not eligible for Cal COBRA?
Indemnity policies, PPOs, HMOs, and self-insured plans are all eligible for COBRA extension; however, federal government employee plans and church plans are exempt from COBRA.
COBRA Qualifying Events
What is a qualifying event for Cal-COBRA?
Qualifying events are events that cause an individual to lose his or her group health coverage, most commonly because: The employee is no longer employed for any reason other than gross misconduct. The employee's hours are cut.
What makes you COBRA eligible?
Q6: How do I become eligible for COBRA continuation coverage? To be eligible for COBRA coverage, you must have been enrolled in your employer's health plan when you worked and the health plan must continue to be in effect for active employees.
What is a COBRA exception?
COBRA Exception: Gross Misconduct
Employees do not experience a COBRA qualifying event if their loss of coverage is caused by a termination of employment that is “by reason of the employee's gross misconduct.” The gross misconduct exception applies only to a termination of employment triggering event.
What is the COBRA loophole?
If you decide to enroll in COBRA health insurance, your coverage will be retroactive, meaning it will apply to any medical bills incurred during the 60-day decision period. This loophole can save you money by avoiding premium payments unless you actually need care during this time.
Is expiration of COBRA a qualifying event?
However, you won't qualify if you decide to end COBRA early and are paying the full benefit cost yourself. You also don't qualify if you lose your COBRA coverage because you didn't pay your premiums. Remember, you don't need a special enrollment period if you voluntarily end COBRA during open enrollment.
What is the difference between COBRA and cal-COBRA?
Federal COBRA generally extends health coverage for 18 months. Individuals with certain qualifying events may be eligible for a longer extension (e.g., 29 or 36 months). Cal-COBRA allows individuals to continue their group health coverage for up to 36 months.
Do you qualify for COBRA if you quit?
Whether you quit, get fired or are laid off, you may be able to choose your former employer's health plan under a federal law called COBRA. That stands for Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act. It's available if: You were enrolled in an employer-sponsored medical, dental or vision plan.
How much does COBRA cost per month?
The average monthly cost of COBRA Insurance premiums ranges from $400 to $700 per individual.
Who is not subject to COBRA?
You do not have to offer COBRA coverage to any of the following: an employee who is not yet eligible for your group health plan. an eligible employee who declined to participate in your group health plan. an individual who is enrolled for benefits under Medicare.
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.
Is a strike a COBRA qualifying event?
For example, a strike or a lockout is a termination or reduction of hours that constitutes a qualifying event if the strike or lockout results in a loss of coverage as described in paragraph (c) of Q&A-1 of this section. Similarly, a layoff that results in such a loss of coverage is a qualifying event.
Does insurance end the day you quit?
When you leave or are let go from a job, your health insurance either expires on your last day of work or at the end of the month of your exit, says Andy Gillin, attorney and managing partner at GJEL Accident Attorneys. For example, if you quit on July 15th, your coverage usually continues until July 31st.
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.
Is COBRA coverage worth it?
“If you're close to meeting your deductible on your current insurance plan and you have high health care costs, it may be worth it to temporarily stay on your COBRA plan,” explains Donovan. The same holds true if you're far into your employer plan's year and have already met your deductible.
What 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.
Can I sue my employer for not offering COBRA?
The employees along with the beneficiaries have the right to sue to cover the medical expenses that would have taken place when the COBRA should have been offered.
How do I waive COBRA coverage?
If you are currently receiving COBRA coverage for which a premium is being paid and you wish to waive future coverage, you can simply refrain from paying the COBRA premium for that coverage period.
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.
Which of the following would be a qualifying event as it relates to COBRA?
COBRA coverage follows a "qualifying event". An example of a qualifying event would be if your hours were reduced or you lost your job (as long as there was no gross misconduct).
Will I qualify for COBRA if I quit my job?
Yes, You Can Get COBRA Insurance After You Quit Your Job
To be eligible for COBRA, you need to have been a covered employee and must have had insurance coverage at the time of your employment termination.