The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a series of model notices relating to the new COBRA subsidy included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The notices are available at the DOL’s Web site. Here’s what you’ll get there:
- A general model election notice (“General Notice (Full version)”) for use by group health plans for all qualified beneficiaries, not just Assistance Eligible Individuals, who experienced a qualifying event during the period from September 1, 2008 through December 31, 2009. This notice is for those qualified beneficiaries who experienced a qualifying event during the period from September 1, 2008, through December 31, 2009, and did not elect COBRA coverage, for qualified beneficiaries who recently experienced a qualifying event and have not yet received an election notice, and for those qualified beneficiaries who have not yet experienced a qualifying event.
- An abbreviated general model notice (“General Notice [Abbreviated version]”) for use by group health plans for all qualified beneficiaries currently enrolled in COBRA coverage who experienced qualifying events that occurred on or after September 1, 2008, to advise them of the availability of the premium reduction.
- A model alternative notice (“Alternative Notice”) for use where coverage is subject to state law continuation requirements during the period from September 1, 2008, through December 31, 2009.
- A model COBRA continuation coverage additional election notice (“Notice in Connection with Extended Election Period”) for use by group health plans subject to Federal COBRA for qualified beneficiaries who are or would be Assistance Eligible Individuals but are not enrolled in COBRA coverage. This notice applies to Assistance Eligible Individuals who never elected COBRA coverage and those who elected COBRA coverage but subsequently discontinued coverage with qualifying events that occurred during the period from September 1, 2008, through February 16, 2009.
