Texas CE Course Certification

COBRA – The Main Course3.0 Hours

A statement of the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities the licensee is expected to obtain through completion of this course.

This course is designed to teach the main topics of COBRA to the licensed agent. It is designed to prepare the licensed agent to understand their liabilities and limitations in acting as a COBRA advisor for their employer clients.

A detailed outline of the course showing approximate times for major topics.

  1. Introduction to Course0.5 Hours
  2. Who should be taking this course
  3. What you’ll learn in this main course
  4. The basic rules of COBRA
  5. COBRA’s unique vocabulary
  6. The roles of the employer and plan administrator in COBRA compliance
  7. Action items
  8. Deadlines
  9. Required paperwork
  10. The duties of the QBs
  11. COBRA1.0 Hours
  12. In a nutshell
  13. Legal framework
  14. What employers are subject to COBRA
  15. Small employer exception
  16. What plans are subject to COBRA
  17. What is a Qualifying Event
  18. The seven triggering events
  19. The gross misconduct exception
  20. What is a loss of plan coverage
  21. Triggering event must cause loss of plan coverage
  22. Leaves of absences
  23. Mergers and acquisitions
  24. Severance agreements and severance pay
  25. Who must be offered COBRA
  26. QBs
  27. Covered “employees” may be “non-employees”
  28. Children as QBs
  29. QMCSOs
  30. QBs with other coverage
  31. Supreme Court Ruling
  32. Why some non-QBs can obtain COBRA coverage
  33. Domestic partners and their children
  34. Proposed legislation
  35. What type of coverage must be offered
  36. Can QBs change coverage at Open Enrollment
  37. HIPAA Special Enrollment Rules
  38. Employer modifications to plans
  39. Length of COBRA Coverage
  40. Maximum coverage
  41. Extensions of maximum
  42. The COBRA Election Process1.0 Hours
  43. The COBRA Election timeline
  44. The Qualifying Event Notice
  45. Employer’s notice obligations
  46. QBs and covered employees notice obligations
  47. Notice of Unavailability
  48. COBRA Election Notice
  49. When the employer is also the Plan Administrator
  50. COBRA Election
  51. COBRA Premium
  52. Determining “applicable premium”
  53. Changing the COBRA premium
  54. COBRA premiums
  55. Payment deadlines
  56. Other rules
  57. Can election and payment periods increase adverse selection?
  58. COBRA notices and other communications
  59. Two most important Notices
  60. Initial Notice
  61. Election Notice
  62. Other “mandatory” notices and communications
  63. Notice of Unavailability
  64. Notice of Termination of COBRA coverage
  65. Note: Regulatory, not statutory
  66. QE Notice to Plan Administrator/Employer
  67. Notice of COBRA premiums by Insignificant Shortage
  68. Open Enrollment materials
  69. Individual conversion policy notices
  70. Summary Plan Descriptions
  71. Summary of Material Modifications
  72. HIPAA Certificates of Creditable Coverage
  73. Disclosures to health care providers
  74. Notice of change in COBRA premiums
  75. Optional items
  76. IRS 98-12
  77. Coupon books or monthly statements
  78. Confirmation of COBRA Elections
  79. Notice of Extension of COBRA coverage
  80. Notice of denial of COBRA coverage due to gross misconduct
  81. Termination Notice at expiration of maximum coverage
  82. Late premium payment reminders
  83. Letter to dependent child regarding loss of dependent status
  84. Spouses or dependent children dropped from coverage
  85. Letter to QBs attaining age 65
  86. COBRA administrative procedures
  87. A word of caution
  88. COBRA administration software
  89. COBRA TPAs
  90. Consequences of “failure to comply with COBRA”
  91. Review of COBRA “action items” and “deadlines”
  92. COBRA from the QB’s point of view0.5 Hours
  93. Overview
  94. Most QBs planning starts with Election Notice
  95. Except employees who may be Medicare “entitled”
  96. Except for QBs who are or may be disabled
  97. QBs who have or can obtain other coverage
  98. Already have other coverage
  99. Why would QBs elect dual coverage
  100. QBs who can obtain other plan coverage
  101. Timing issues for QBs who can obtain other coverage
  102. QBs who elect COBRA instead of other coverage
  103. QBs whose elections are late
  104. Vast majority are timely
  105. Dealing with Elections that are “just a little late”
  106. Dealing with Elections that are “very late”
  107. QBs whose premiums are late
  108. Make sure communications say “will” terminate, not “may” terminate
  109. Save the postmark!
  110. Dealing with late payments
  111. QBs whose premiums are insufficient
  112. Significantly
  113. Insignificantly
  114. QBs who divorce with no notice to the plan
  115. QBs with Mini-COBRA statutes
  116. Employees who drop dependent coverage
  117. Anticipation of divorce
  118. COBRA in the life of Harvey and Sheila – A final review

A narrative description of how the course will be presented that speaks to the requirements of the rules.

The course will be presented in a classroom format with 90% of the scheduled time in session.