COBRA

You can continue some of the coverages you were already enrolled in when you experience an event that ends those coverages:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
  
• Basic Life
• Employee Additional Life
• Spouse Life
• Child Life
• Medical Dental Expense Account (MDEA)

See the FSA Plan Summary for more information about continuing pre-tax coverages after separation.

When you have an event that causes you or one of your covered dependents to lose insurance coverages, a COBRA enrollment form will be mailed to your home. You will need to indicate which coverages you want to continue on your form and return it to SEGIP. You can find the SEGIP mailing address on the Insurance Contacts page.

• You do not need to continue all of your coverages, you can choose to continue some or all depending on your needs.
• You do not need to continue coverage at the level you were enrolled in prior to losing coverage, you can choose to reduce. For example, you can reduce the dollar amount of life insurance you are continuing, or you can choose to continue single coverage instead of family. You cannot increase the coverage level of your insurances when enrolling in COBRA coverage.
• You do not need to mail your first payment with your COBRA enrollment form. Please wait to mail your first payment until you receive your first invoice.
• Make sure to include your telephone number on your completed COBRA enrollment form so we can contact you with any questions regarding your enrollment.

The amount of time that you are eligible to remain on COBRA depends on the reason you are becoming eligible for COBRA. The exact dates of your COBRA eligibility will be printed on the COBRA enrollment form that is mailed to you.

• If you lose coverage due to a change in your employment status, or the employment status of your spouse or parent, you are eligible to continue your benefits on COBRA for 18 months. 
• If you are enrolled on your parent’s coverage and turn 26, you are eligible to continue Medical and Dental benefits on COBRA for 36 months. Your first day of COBRA coverage will be the first of the month following the date you turn 26. 
• If your spouse is a state employee and you lose coverage due to a divorce, you are eligible to continue Medical and Dental benefits on COBRA for the remainder of your lifetime. Your first day of COBRA coverage will be either the first of the month following the date of your divorce, or the first of the month following the date that your last child in common turns 26.
• If your spouse is a state employee and you lose coverage due to the death of your spouse, you are eligible to continue Medical and Dental benefits on COBRA for the remainder of your lifetime. You can also continue your Medical Dental Expense account on COBRA on an after-tax basis until the end of the calendar year.

COBRA costs may change yearly. This information is included in the COBRA participant Open Enrollment guide which is mailed to your home in the fall of each year you are enrolled in COBRA coverage.
These rate schedules have the current rate information for COBRA coverage:

• Rate Schedule
  
• HDHP Rate Schedule

Anyone who loses coverage as a result of a COBRA qualifying event is eligible to enroll in COBRA. 

• It doesn’t matter if you are the employee, spouse of the employee, or dependent child, each individual has the same rights to COBRA.
• Any covered spouse or child can continue their coverages on COBRA, even if the employee chooses not to. Each covered individual has the right to enroll in their own COBRA coverage.
• Former spouses are eligible for COBRA if they were covered at the time of the divorce. If there are children in common between the employee and the former spouse, the former spouse must remain covered until the last child in common turns 26. Once the last child in common has turned 26 the former spouse will be offered COBRA coverage.

You can find more information in the COBRA booklet.