COBRA Compliance Checklist – a must have for any group health plan

Could you defend your method of COBRA administration to an IRS agent or in a court of law? Take a look at our compliance checklist to find out…

Does Your Business:

• Use written notifications, which have been reviewed by a competent ERISA attorney, to communicate with participants about their COBRA rights? Do you update these notifications when there are changes in the COBRA law?
• Send each employee and dependent spouse an initial COBRA notification to his or her home address when first enrolled in your group health, dental, vision, EAP or Section 125 (etc) plans?
• Send a qualifying event notification to the last known home address of a qualified beneficiary whenever a COBRA qualifying event occurs?
• Know which events trigger the right to COBRA continuation coverage and which individuals may be entitled to continue coverage?
• Know how to administer all of the new COBRA Medicare disability extension rules?
• Know when administration fees may be increased to 150%?
• Grant mandated extensions of COBRA coverage to the appropriate beneficiaries within the legal time limits?
• Know under which circumstances termination of COBRA is lawfully permitted?
• Send participants’ termination notices?
• Notify qualified beneficiaries of conversion options during required time frame?
• Keep detailed records of all COBRA-related events? Do you keep copies of all notices sent, including the method used for delivery? Do you keep premium collection records?
• Know when changes in the law occur?
• Have someone to fill in when the individual responsible for administering COBRA is out sick, on vacation or leaves employment?

If you answered NO to any of these questions, your company may be at risk of IRS and ERISA penalties, as well as costly civil lawsuits. Outsource your COBRA Administration and prevent costly mistakes.