How to Enroll for COBRA Coverage
When you qualify for COBRA coverage because you have a change in job status, leave county employment or retire, your qualifying event is reported to Benefits and Retirement Operations through your Termination Notice, which you need to complete, or the county payroll report.
If you die while actively employed by the county, Benefits and Retirement Operations will notify your eligible dependents of their COBRA rights.
For other qualifying events, such as divorce, dissolution of a domestic partnership or a child's loss of eligibility for coverage as a dependent, 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 qualifying event.
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.)
If these procedures aren't followed or if the online Discontinue Dependent Coverage form isn't completed by the last day of the 60-day notice period, any covered spouse/domestic partner or child who loses coverage will not be offered the option to elect COBRA coverage.
COBRA Enrollment Process
When Benefits and Retirement Operations receives COBRA-qualifying information, it notifies FBMC so that FBMC can offer COBRA coverage to each qualified beneficiary and explain COBRA plan options and cost. Each qualified beneficiary has an independent right to elect COBRA coverage. As the covered employee, you may elect COBRA coverage on behalf of your spouse/domestic partner. Parents may elect COBRA coverage on behalf of their covered children.
You have 60 days from the date your county coverage ends or from the date that FBMC sends you notification of your COBRA eligibility, whichever is later, to elect COBRA coverage. If you elect COBRA coverage, it will pick up where your county coverage left off as long as enrollment and payment of premium have been timely.
You can only continue COBRA coverage for the county benefits you have on your last day of work. When enrolling in COBRA, you may choose any health care plan for which you were eligible on your last day of work. However, if you don't have medical coverage on your last day because you opted out of medical coverage, for example, you cannot enroll in medical coverage under COBRA.
If you are continuing your health care plan coverage under COBRA, you may continue to use the county's Making Life Easier benefit. For more information about this benefit, contact Making Life Easier. (See Contact Information.)
This applies to KingCare SM, Group Health, your dental plan and your vision plan. You also must pay for COBRA coverage. (For details about what COBRA coverage costs, see " How Much COBRA Coverage Costs.")
You and/or your qualified dependents may continue coverage under Medicare or another group health care plan if the effective date of coverage under the other plan is before the COBRA election date.
If you're participating in a health care flexible spending account (FSA) when you elect COBRA, you may continue to contribute to your FSA on an after-tax basis through the end of the calendar year as long as you continue your COBRA benefits. This allows you to receive reimbursements for expenses incurred during the remainder of the year.
However, if you don't elect COBRA and don't elect to continue your FSA contributions, you will be able to file claims for reimbursement only against the contributions you made to your FSA through your last day with the county. Claims may be filed through March 31 of the following year.
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