When COBRA Coverage Ends
COBRA coverage will be terminated before the end of the maximum period of your coverage if:
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any required premium isn't paid on time;
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a qualified beneficiary becomes covered under another group health care plan that doesn't impose any exclusion for a preexisting condition on the qualified beneficiary;
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a covered employee enrolls in Medicare (dependent COBRA coverage may continue through the end of the original COBRA period, independent of the employee's enrollment in Medicare);
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the county no longer provides any group health care plan for its employees;
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the plan would terminate coverage of a participant or qualified beneficiary not receiving continued coverage for any reason (such as fraud); and
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the plan terminates (whether by contract or county bankruptcy).
If you die while on COBRA, your death is considered a second qualifying event and your covered family members may extend their COBRA coverage up to 36 months from the date of your death.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) restricts the extent to which group health care plans may impose preexisting condition limits:
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If you become covered under another group health care plan and that plan contains a preexisting condition limit that affects you, your COBRA coverage cannot be terminated. However, if the other plan's preexisting rule doesn't affect you, your original COBRA coverage will be terminated.
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You don't have to show that you're insurable to elect COBRA coverage. However, COBRA coverage is subject to your eligibility for coverage, and the county reserves the right to terminate your coverage retroactively if you're determined to be ineligible.
When you're no longer covered under COBRA, you may be entitled to purchase an individual conversion policy. If you're interested in learning about converting to an individual health care policy when your COBRA coverage ends, contact your health care plan (for example, KingCare SM or Group Health) or the Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) for more information. (See Contact Information.)
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