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 Benefits & Work/Life. 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 or request the COBRA enrollment packet from the Benefits & Work/Life forms website.
2. Send the form and payment to the state Health Care Authority at the address included in the enrollment packet. Premiums must be paid retroactive to the first day of the month following the qualifying event.

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