I recently started a new job and intend to avail of health insurance using COBRA through my ex-employer. My wife is currently covered by her employer (her insurance does not cover me) and she intends to continue her coverage. Later this year, during summer, she plans to leave her job. At that point, I would like to include her, as a dependent, under my COBRA coverage. My ex-employer says that I must decide to get family coverage right now or forgo it altogether. i.e. I cannot take the single coverage for the next 6-8 months and then opt for family coverage when my wife leaves her job. Is this true? If not, can someone point me to the relevant text that I can refer to.

Thanks in advance,

Varghese K.

P.S. If it matters at all, my wife was covered under my health insurance policy (with my ex-employer).

http://www.dol.gov/dol/pwba/public/pubs/CO...BRA/cobra95.htm is the official web site for the Pension & Welfare Benefits Administration COBRA regulations. The answer to your question should be in these official regs.

Good luck

It depends on what your ex-employer's plan says. Generally speaking, as a COBRA qualified beneficiary, you will have the same right to add your spouse and dependent children as active employees under the plan. So, for example, if your employer has only one open enrollment period a year, it is possible that you will not be able to add your wife at the point you are planning because that won't fall in an open enrollment period under the plan. (Note that, as a consequence of your employment termination, your wife has independent COBRA rights. However, she loses those rights and ceases to be a COBRA qualified beneficiary once the 60-day COBRA election period runs without her having elected COBRA. If you later add her as a covered spouse, this will create no independent COBRA rights in her.)

I need to know criteria for group health insurance offered to employees in organization with 10 or less employees. Do all employees have to be offered health insurance? Or only those working a certain amount of hours? How many hours? Where can I get the information to provide to my employer?

Thanks for your help.


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jacknancy@erols.com