UNDERSTAND

Your medical and dental coverage will end at midnight on the last day of the month in which you end employment at the UW provided you were paid for at least eight hours during the month.

If you lose eligibility to participate in a UW-sponsored medical or dental plan due to separation of employment or another qualifying event as described in the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), you may be able to continue participation in group coverage on a self-paid basis.

Qualifying life events and the length of coverage available are as follows:

• 18 months of COBRA eligibility is available if:
  • your employment ends for any reason other than your gross misconduct, or
  • your hours of employment at the UW are reduced to the extent that eligibility for UW-sponsored medical and dental benefits would otherwise be lost.
• 36 months of COBRA eligibility is available:
  • to the eligible dependents of a UW employee who dies while employed,
  • to the divorced spouse of a UW employee, or
  • to a child of a UW employee who loses eligibility for dependent coverage due to age or other loss of dependent status.

You are not eligible for COBRA continuation if:

• you are covered by another group health plan at the time of the qualifying event,
• you or a dependent later becomes covered by another group health plan, unless that plan contains a pre-existing condition exclusion, or
• you were dismissed for gross misconduct.

What Coverage May I Continue?

You may continue medical and dental coverage together or either coverage separately. You and each of your enrolled family members are entitled to make a separate decision to continue coverage.

Notice Requirement

COBRA requires you or your dependent(s) to provide notice within 60 days after a qualifying event occurs; you may do so via email to the Benefits Office. If you are self-paying your insurance premium when the qualifying event occurs, you or your dependent must notify the state's Health Care Authority.

Premiums

View medical and dental COBRA premiums.

ACT

The enrollment deadline is 60 days following the date of a qualifying event, or the date on which you receive notice from your employer, whichever is later.

To enroll in COBRA:

1. Download and print the COBRA enrollment packet from our Forms & Publications website.
2. Or, if you prefer to receive a packet by mail, call the Health Care Authority directly at 1-800-200-1004 to request one—being mindful of the 60-day enrollment deadline.
3. Send the completed form and your payment to the Health Care Authority:
   
   Washington State Health Care Authority
   P.O. Box 42684
   Olympia, WA 98504-2684
   
   If payment is enclosed, return to:
   

   Washington State Health Care Authority
   Attn: Accounting
   P.O. Box 42691
   Olympia, WA 98504-2691
   
   Note: Premiums must be paid retroactive to the first day of the month following the qualifying event.

EXPLORE

The U.S. Department of Labor provides answers to frequently asked questions about COBRA.

• uwhr@uw.edu |
• HR Contacts

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