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#ACT COBRA FOR FREE#
30 you pay in full for COBRA but were eligible for free coverage, you may qualify for a refund or credit. If at any point between April 1 and Sept.

If you were insured through COBRA before April 1, medical and premium costs incurred before then are not refundable, according to the Labor Department. After the subsidization period ends, you may become eligible for Medicaid or coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, according to the Labor Department.Ĭoverage under subsidized COBRA is not retroactive. 30, but you will have to pay the premiums after that date. If you sign up for subsidized COBRA, you can keep it past Sept. What else should you know?Īlthough the subsidy covers the health plan’s premium, you will still be responsible for copays and deductibles. For more information, go to the state’s Department of Managed Health Care website. Cal-COBRA may also be able to extend your coverage if your federal COBRA plan has expired. In California, if your employer has two to 19 employees, you may be covered by Cal-COBRA. The provision does not extend your policy’s life beyond the normal 18 months, though. If you’re not in a rush, you have until July 30 to enroll.įor those already enrolled in a COBRA plan, subsidized premiums were set to begin April 1 and end Sept. So UCLA’s Rice said you should contact your former employer as soon as possible to avoid losing out on benefits. If your employer waits until the May 31 deadline to notify you, you could miss out on two months of free coverage. If your employer or the employment-based group health plan you were a part of do not notify you, the Labor Department recommends contacting your employer to request information on your eligibility. If you are newly eligible under the relief bill, your employer is required to notify you by May 31, said Grant Vaught, a Labor Department spokesperson. In general, employers have 60 days to notify you of your COBRA eligibility. If you already have health insurance, whether through the government or your employer, you are not eligible to enroll in subsidized COBRA.Īlso, beneficiaries who recently turned 26 (the cutoff age for dependents to stay on their parents’ health insurance) and former spouses who lost their coverage due to a divorce will be unable to receive free COBRA benefits but can expect lower costs “on Marketplace health insurance coverage thanks to provisions in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021,” according to the Labor Department. Also, if you were fired for gross misconduct, you and your dependents are not eligible for COBRA.

To get your share, you probably need to file a tax return.Īnyone who voluntarily left their job or chose to reduce their work hours, with some exceptions. The California Policy Lab says a stimulus gap may be between 2.2 million Californians and payments that are owed to them. Business More than 2 million Californians may be leaving stimulus money on the table.
