Cobra Letter

[AliciaMRivera]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? North Carolina however my employer is headquartered in California.

I have been on medical leave and my health insurance coverage ended without notification on 10/31/09. I have been requesting a letter with the end date so that we can provide the necessary documentation to my husband's employer to transfer to his health plan. Nothing was provided.

My employer now insists my coverage ended on 5/31/09, but never supplied me any documentation and continued to pay for my health coverage. They claim it is the responsibility of the third party they hired to administer their plan and the third party claims it was their responsibility to notify me. No one is taking responsibility for this issue and all I have is a pdf document that was emailed to me about a week ago with the incorrect end date of 5/31/09. My husband's company cannot accept that letter since it's 1) incorrect and 2) is more than 30 days from the end date noted.

Both my husband and I have medications that we need to fill and I have had to cancel doctor's appointments since I technically don't have coverage. (The doctor who wrote me out on medical has retired and I was scheduled to see a new doctor who I cannot see because of this medical issue. This can adversely impact my long term disability claim as that insurer expects regulary doctor's reports and visits.)

What do I do, I need to have this taken care of asap. We are running out of time and are out of money to pay for medical. I am afraid of being excluded coverage for myself and my husband due to pre-existing conditions. Please help this is urgent.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

[ecmst12]

How long have you been on leave and what does the policy state about coverage for employees on leave?

The LEGAL responsibility to notify you of your Cobra rights belongs to your employer, ultimately. Whether they hire someone to do it is up to them but if the administrator screws up, it's the company that will get in trouble for it.

[AliciaMRivera]

I had asked about Cobra when I went on medical leave. They wouldn't supply me information on the policy. I was told that they would pay for the Cobra. I would be notified when they stopped paying and have the opportunity to continue coverage. I transitioned from short term disability to long term disability in November of 2007.

My employer admitted it was a mistake (verbally only), but no one wants to acknowledge the actual end of coverage in writing. My husband and I need to get this straightened out as soon as possible to get health insurance transitioned to my husbands company. Since I am on disability I am required to be under the continuing care of doctors. So this also endangers my LTD claim. Also my husband needs medications to control a potentially life threatening health condition.

Since no one wants to supply me with the letter, what is my next step to resolve this issue?

[ecmst12]

Sounds to me like your cobra has been exhausted if you've been on it for 2 years. The open enrollment for your husband's insurance should be soon right? You can sign up for it at that time. His insurance may not have any pre existing condition exclusion (many don't) so you may not have to worry about that.

[AliciaMRivera]

Even two months without health coverage is a very serious issue, we cannot afford our prescriptions, much less get the medical care that we require. The combined cost of our prescriptions are in the thousands per month.

All I want is to get our coverage transferred to my husbands insurance. And all we need is a document stating that our coverage ended on October 31, 2009. There has to be something I can do to get this moved forward?

[ecmst12]

But did your coverage actually end 5/31? Cobra is only supposed to be for 18 months, unless you get an extension.