Continuing Coverage with COBRA and Cal COBRA
What is COBRA and Cal-COBRA?
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) is a United States federal law that, among other things, requires employers of 20 or more employees to offer continuation of coverage to employees and their dependents when a qualifying event that results in the loss of group eligibility occurs.
Cal-COBRA is a California law that applies to employers with 2 to 19 employees and employers with more than 20 employees who have exhausted their federal COBRA.
Key facts:
-
Information on COBRA subsidies from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act is available here.
-
Eligibility: Employers must notify employees about the right to continue coverage when a qualifying event that results in the loss of group eligibility occurs
-
Duration: Depending on the qualifying event, COBRA and/or Cal-COBRA may last for up to 36 months
-
Administration: Blue Shield neither provides nor administers federal COBRA services. All employers are responsible for administering their own federal COBRA program. Blue Shield administers Cal-COBRA when an employer is subject to it under state law.
Groups have the option to self-administer their federal COBRA benefits. -
For instructions on how to administer your plan, please see Administrator Guides.
-
Deadline: Employees must sign up with the health plan within 60 days of receiving notice of eligibility for federal COBRA or Cal-COBRA
-
Cost: For COBRA, employees are responsible for the entire cost, up to 102 percent of the group rate. For Cal-COBRA, the cost may range from 110% to 150% of the group rate.
Additional Information
For more information on Federal COBRA and Cal-COBRA, please visit the California Department of Managed Healthcare website.
Also check the Department of Labor's website for more information on federal COBRA.