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Extending
Health Related Benefits Under COBRA
In compliance with Title X of the
Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act (COBRA) of 1986, Mount
Holyoke College is obligated to offer continued health coverage
in most situations
when an employee leaves College employment.
These situations include
a reduction in work schedule, a voluntary termination of employment
and in some cases, involuntary terminations.
The Human Resources
Department will notify eligible employees and their qualified
family members
of their COBRA rights if any of these events occur. The eligible
employee and their qualified family members (if any) will be offered
continued coverage for up to eighteen months at a monthly rate
that is equal to the total monthly premium plus a 2% administrative
fee.
This continued coverage may be extended an additional eleven months
if a Social Security disability determination has been made prior
to the end of the 18-month continuation period, and the date of disability
occurred during the first 60 days of COBRA coverage. The Human Resources
Department must be notified of such a determination.
COBRA also requires continued coverage to be offered for up to
thirty-six months to:
- surviving spouse and children of deceased employees;
- separated, divorced, or Medicare-ineligible spouses and children
of active employees; and
- children of active employees lose coverage upon reaching the
age of 19 when they are not enrolled in college, or when reaching
the age of
twenty-three or twenty-five and are no longer full-time students
whichever is applicable.
Again, the Human Resources Department must be notified when any
of these events occurs.
Please note that Mount Holyoke College had decided to extend the
federally mandated COBRA continuing coverage for spouses to employee's
same-sex domestic partners.
For complete information on your rights
and obligations regarding COBRA, you can request a copy of COBRA
rights and obligations from the Human Resources Department.
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