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Overview

The federal COBRA law requires that most employer Welfare Benefits programs allow continuation of health coverage under certain circumstances explained in this notice.

Qualifying Event Notice

You will receive a Qualifying Event Notice when you experience a “Qualifying Event” that triggers your COBRA rights. This means that you experience an event that caused you to lose employer health plan coverage. A packet of information is provided to you that collectively is considered Qualifying Event Notice. The formal notice that explains the following:

  • Your right to continue the employer health plan coverage

  • The timing and eligibility requirements

  • The specific responsibilities that you must be aware of in order to retain your rights under COBRA

  • Details on other health insurance options that may be available to you, such as the Health Insurance Marketplace.

It is important to read the notice carefully as it explains the rights, rules, and responsibilities under COBRA. Be sure to review the information in the Qualifying Event Notice packet thoroughly before making a decision to either elect COBRA or decline from electing COBRA.

If you require a copy of the COBRA Notice in Spanish, please contact the COBRA administrator.

Si necesita una copia de este folleto en español, comuníquese con nuestra oficina.

Additional Information

If you feel that you do not have enough plan information to act intelligently in electing or declining coverage, you may contact the health insurance company directly to request additional plan information. You may also refer to the employer Summary of Benefit Coverage (SBC) and Summary Plan Description (SPD) documents. The SBC, SPD, certificates of coverage (which describe plan details) and other benefit plan documents can be accessed from a link on the Vita COBRA online member portal.

To receive more information about COBRA and HIPAA, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) website at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa or call their toll-free number at 1-866-444-3272.

The still need additional assistance, please contact the Vita Concierge directly at (650) 966-1492 or help@vitamail.com.

Keywords: Vita COBRA, qualifying event, notice