Frequently Asked Questions

To be eligible for COBRA, you must have been enrolled in your employer’s health plan while you were employed.  Once you experience a qualifying event, you may be eligible for COBRA coverage.  View Understanding COBRA for more information on what COBRA is and to determine if you have experienced a qualifying event.

A qualified beneficiary is any individual eligible for COBRA continuation coverage.  A qualified beneficiary can be either a covered employee, the spouse of a covered employee, or a dependent child of the covered employee.

• Employee – if the individual is covered under a group health plan provided by their employer at the time of a qualifying event.
• Spouse – if he or she is married to a covered employee at the time of the qualifying event or becomes divorced or legally separated from a covered employee.
• Dependent – if he or she is a covered dependent of a covered employee at the time of a qualifying event or if the covered dependent loses his or her dependent child status.

You will be mailed a COBRA Continuation Coverage Election Form upon termination that you will need to complete, sign, and return to:

ASI COBRA
PO Box 657
Columbia, MO 65205

Once you experience a qualifying event, you will receive an election notice within 14 days.  This notice will be delivered by USPS first class mail.  You will have 60 days to determine if you would like to elect COBRA.

Yes, like active employees, COBRA participants are allowed to make changes to their insurance plans during open enrollment.  Depending on the changes made to your plan, you may have the option to change carriers and/or change your coverage level.

If elected, your COBRA coverage typically lasts 18 months for you, your spouse, and your dependents.  You may accept or waive coverage for any variation of plans and/or dependents on your election form.

According to COBRA regulations, active COBRA participants must be given the same rights available to similarly situated active employees with respect to adding new family members as a result of birth, adoption, or marriage. Please refer to your health plan guide for information on who qualifies as an eligible dependent.

A child born to or adopted by a covered individual during the COBRA coverage period will have the same rights as other qualified beneficiaries when added to coverage within 30 days of the birth or adoption.

Yes, you can drop dependents from any of your plans at any time while on COBRA continuation coverage.

Your premium payments are due the first day of the month for that month.  However, there is a 30 grace period upon receipt of payment.

Payments should be made in the form of a check or money order and sent to:

ASI COBRA
PO Box 657
Columbia, MO 65205

Your COBRA coverage end date will be the last day of the month on the 18th month of your coverage.  However, you may voluntarily terminate your COBRA coverage at any time.

Your COBRA administrator and/or former employer do have the ability to terminate your coverage if any of the following takes place:

• Your premium payment is not paid in a timely manner
• You become Medicare entitled after electing COBRA coverage
• Your former employer ceases to provide any group health plan coverage to their employees

The COBRA General Rights Notice informs the plan participants (the covered employee and covered spouse, if applicable) of their rights and responsibilities under COBRA.  The notice must be mailed by the employer or third party administrator (ASI COBRA in this case) to the covered employee and/or spouse within 90 days of the date the individual first became covered by a group health plan.

The COBRA Specific Rights Notice informs the plan participant they have experienced an event that qualifies them for COBRA coverage.

Accompanying this notice will be two more forms:

• The COBRA Continuation Election Form which allows the plan participant to accept or waive any plan(s) they were enrolled in as an active member upon termination
• The HIPAA Certificate of Group Health Plan Coverage which provides evidence of your prior health coverage

If you are enrolled in COBRA coverage and then become Medicare entitled (eligible and enrolled), the plan may be terminated.  However, if you are first entitled to Medicare and then become eligible for COBRA coverage, your coverage will not be affected.