When you become covered under the ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 Health Benefits Trust, you will receive a General Notice of COBRA Continuation Coverage Rights, which explains COBRA coverage, and details the circumstances under when it may become available to you and your family. The Notice also explains what you need to do to protect the right to receive COBRA benefits, explained in the Continuation Coverage section in the Plan Booklet.

A Federal law, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), allows you and your dependents, under certain circumstances, to continue paying for health care benefits at your own expense. COBRA coverage is also available for enrolled dependents who lose their health care coverage.

When your employment ends, or when you experience a qualifying event that causes you or your dependent(s) to lose eligibility for health coverage, your benefit coverage ends on the last day of the month in the month of the qualifying event, in most cases. For example, if your employment ends on June 15, your benefit coverage ends June 30.

When the qualifying event is the end of your employment, reduction of hours of employment or death of the employee, the Plan will offer COBRA coverage to qualified beneficiaries. You do not need to notify the ASEA Health Trust Administrator of any of these three qualifying events. However, for other qualifying events, you must provide notice to the ASEA Health Trust Administrator using the Notice of Qualifying Event or Notice of Second Qualifying Event forms.

Disabled employees or dependents who lose benefit coverage are also eligible for COBRA. Find additional information in the Notice of Disability and the Notification of Other Coverage, Medicare Entitlement or Cessation of Disability.

Note that COBRA applies only to the type of health coverage that you had at the time you lost coverage. If you elect COBRA, you must pay the full monthly cost of the coverage plus a small administrative fee.  Contact the ASEA Health Trust Administrator for details.