Who's Eligible for COBRA Coverage and Why
A qualified beneficiary is an employee, a spouse/domestic partner or a child who is covered by a county health care plan and who loses coverage because of a qualifying event.
Employee
As a benefit-eligible employee, you become a qualified beneficiary when you lose coverage under your county health care plan because of any of these qualifying events:
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a change in your job status, such as a reduction in hours;
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an unpaid leave of absence for more than 31 days; or
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your employment ends for retirement or any reason other than your gross misconduct.
Spouse/Domestic Partner
Your covered spouse/domestic partner becomes a qualified beneficiary when he/she loses coverage under your county health care plan because of any of these qualifying events:
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you die;
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there's a change in your job status, such as a reduction in hours;
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your employment ends for retirement or any reason other than your gross misconduct; or
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you and your spouse divorce, or you end your domestic partnership (legal separation isn't a qualifying event).
If you drop your spouse from coverage in anticipation of a divorce and a divorce later occurs, the divorce is considered the qualifying event even though your spouse lost coverage earlier.
You must complete the Discontinue Dependent Coverage form online as soon as possible, preferably within 30 days but no later than 60 days after your divorce is final. If King County isn't notified within 60 days, your former spouse won't be eligible for continuation of coverage. Your former spouse will have 60 days from the date his/her county coverage ends or from the date that FBMC sends your former spouse notification of his/her COBRA eligibility, whichever is later, to enroll in COBRA. COBRA eligibility begins on the first day of the month following the divorce as long as enrollment and payment of premium have been timely.
HOW TO MAKE CHANGES ONLINE
To make changes to your benefit coverage, complete the appropriate county form online at the Benefits and Retirement Web site at www.metrokc.gov/employees/benefits. At the Web site, click "My Benefits" in the left navigation menu and follow the directions. Most non-county forms are available on the Benefits and Retirement Web site. For forms not available on the Web site, contact the appropriate company or agency. (See Contact Information.)
Children
Your covered child becomes a qualified beneficiary when he/she loses coverage under your county health care plan because of any of these qualifying events:
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you die;
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there's a change in your job status, such as a reduction in hours;
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your employment ends for retirement or any reason other than your gross misconduct;
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you and your spouse divorce, or you end your domestic partnership (legal separation isn't a qualifying event); or
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your child becomes ineligible for coverage as a dependent under your health care plan. (For more information on dependent eligibility, see "Dependent Children" in "Who Is Eligible" in "Participating in the Health Care Plans.")
For your dependent to be eligible for COBRA, you must complete the Discontinue Dependent Coverage form online as soon as possible, preferably within 30 days but no later than 60 days of the date he/she becomes ineligible. If King County isn't notified within 60 days, your dependent won't be eligible for continuation of coverage.
HOW TO MAKE CHANGES ONLINE
To make changes to your benefit coverage, complete the appropriate county form online at the Benefits and Retirement Web site at www.metrokc.gov/employees/benefits. At the Web site, click "My Benefits" in the left navigation menu and follow the directions. Most non-county forms are available on the Benefits and Retirement Web site. For forms not available on the Web site, contact the appropriate company or agency. (See Contact Information.)
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