COBRA Frequently Asked Questions

General Information

• What is COBRA?
  • COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) requires employers to offer benefits continuation coverage to plan participants and certain family members who lost coverage for "qualifying events".

• What is a COBRA “qualifying event”?
• • A “qualifying event” causes a plan participant to lose coverage under our Moss Adams group plan. A table of some qualifying events is included below:

Qualifying Event	Maximum COBRA Duration (in months)
	Employee	Spouse	Covered Child
You terminate employment for any reason (except gross misconduct)	18	18	18
You lose coverage because of reduced work hours	18	18	18
Your covered child no longer qualifies as a dependent	N/A	N/A	36
You pass away	N/A	36	36
You and your spouse divorce	N/A	36	36

*If you and/or your dependent are disabled at the time of the qualifying event or during the first 60 days of COBRA coverage, you can receive 29 months of coverage.

• Who is our COBRA administrator?
  • TRI-AD administers our COBRA enrollment, billing, and collection of premiums. They can be reached via the phone [phone]) or via email ([e-mail]).

• When will I receive my COBRA information or letter stating I am losing benefits?
• • TRI-AD mails a COBRA packet to your home address within 2 weeks of your termination date. If you’re moving be sure to update your address in MA Connect.
  • This COBRA packet includes instruction on how to enroll and the information you can use as proof you lost benefits coverage to get onto another plan.

• What if I don’t need COBRA?
  • A letter regarding your loss of coverage will be included in your COBRA packet. You can use this documentation to support a qualified event to enroll in benefits somewhere else.

COBRA Enrollment

• How do I enroll in COBRA?
  • If eligible, you will receive a COBRA packet mailed to your home address within 2 weeks of your benefits end date. You will enroll directly with our COBRA administrator, TRI-AD, by returning the enrollment form or enrolling online.

• How long do I have to enroll in COBRA?
  • You and/or your eligible family members have 60 days from the qualifying event, or from the date of your COBRA notice (whichever is later), to elect COBRA.
  • If you fail to elect COBRA within 60 days, you lose your opportunity to continue COBRA coverage.
  • During this 60-day period, you may change your mind about electing COBRA.
  • Coverage is retroactive back to the date you lost coverage on the Moss Adams plan, so you won’t have a lapse in coverage as long as you elect COBRA within the 60-day enrollment period.

• When will my COBRA coverage start?
  • Once you elect COBRA, coverage will be retroactive back to the date you lost coverage so you won’t have a lapse in coverage (as long you enroll within 60 days).

• Can I enroll my dependents in COBRA too?
  • Yes, each person has a separate right to elect COBRA (as long as they were enrolled in the benefits plan at time of termination). For example, your spouse may elect continuation coverage even if you don’t as long as you had self + spouse coverage when your benefits terminated.

• Do I have to notify Moss Adams regarding my Qualifying Event?
  • When the qualifying event is the end of employment, reduction in hours or death of the employee, Moss Adams will notify TRI-AD on your behalf. For other qualifying events (divorce or a dependent child losing eligibility), you must notify TRI-AD within 60 days of the event.

• How does Open Enrollment work when I have COBRA coverage?
  • An enrollment form will be mailed to your home address from TRI-AD. During Open Enrollment, you and/or your dependents can change benefit plans, change coverage levels, and/or add dependents.

Paying for COBRA

• How much does COBRA cost?
  • COBRA costs 102% of the full cost of benefits. However, if COBRA is extended for a disability, the COBRA premium can increase to 150% of the full cost of benefits, beginning with the 19th month of coverage.

• How do I pay for COBRA?
  • Send your COBRA payments directly to our COBRA administrator, TRI-AD, as explained in the COBRA packet you will receive from TRI-AD.

Impact on HSAs and FSAs

• What happens to my Health Savings Account (HSA) if I don’t enroll in COBRA?
  • The funds in your HSA are yours to keep and are available whether you elect COBRA or not.

• What happens to my Flexible Spending Account (FSA) if I don’t enroll in COBRA?
  • Any remaining funds in your FSA are only available through the last day of the month in which the qualifying event occurred. Any claims for services past this date will not be eligible for reimbursement. You will have 90 days to submit claims for reimbursement to TRI-AD.

• What happens to my Flexible Spending Account (FSA) if I enroll in COBRA?
  • You will be able to submit claims for expenses incurred through the remainder of the benefits plan year (September 30) or when you cancel COBRA, whichever comes first.

End of COBRA Coverage

• When does COBRA end?
  • COBRA automatically ends on the earliest of the following: the date a COBRA participant becomes covered under any other group health plan or entitled to Medicare; expiration of maximum COBRA period; non- payment of premiums; for cause (e.g. fraud); or, in the case of a disability extension, the date the COBRA participant ceases to be disabled.

These Frequently Asked Questions are a summary of how COBRA applies to Moss Adams plan participants. For more details, please review the COBRA rights notice or your COBRA election notice sent by TRI-AD.