Question about COBRA insurance, and the govt. regulatory agency.

Walking Man

Walking Man

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My wife is a former Alltel employee, who is eligible for COBRA coverage. I don't know much about it myself, but I understand that it is her right as a former employee.
HOWEVER, every Alltel phone number she has tried will not give my wife the H.R. phone number, and pretty much not even the time of day, so I think it's time to whoop some a$$. It seems to me that there should be a gov't. regulatory agency that handles this. Does anyone know who I should call? OR is there's some other approach I should take?
THANKS, ALL HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED! :thumbup:
 
Try the DOL. I'll look for other info, and post here if I find it.
 
When I signed my daughter up for COBRA, all of my dealings were with the insurance company (Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Alabama, in my case.) I had no dealings with my HR department. The notification that she would come off my policy at age 19 if she was not a full-time student (she wasn't) came from the ins. co., and her COBRA application went directly back to them.

As for the need for COBRA, I had paid about $200/mo for slightly over 2 years, when she was struck by a hit and run driver and suffered life-threatening injuries, including permanent brain stem damage. Before her three-year COBRA coverage period ran out, BC/BS had paid out about $815,000 in medical bills. If not for the COBRA coverage, I would have spent my entire life's savings trying to keep her alive and to rehabilitate her.
 
Cobra (which does not -- contrary to common belief -- stand for the Continuation of Benefits Rights Act but actually stands for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) is your right to continue buying out of your own pocket the insurance benefits that you used to receive as an employee benefit courtesy of your employeer for 18 to 36 months, depending on the nature of your termination (for employees of businesses with more than 20 eligible employees). You must sign up within sixty days of termination. Your employeer must send you the forms within 45 days of termination. Keep in mind that you must pay for this coverage at the same rate that your employeer was paying for it. You may be surprised to find out how expensive this is.
 
Gollnick said:
You must sign up within sixty days of termination. Your employeer must send you the forms within 45 days of termination. Keep in mind that you must pay for this coverage at the same rate that your employeer was paying for it. You may be surprised to find out how expensive this is.
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Well, we haven't received anything in the mail. That's why we need to contact someone.
 
Did your wife tell anyone when she left that she wanted COBRA coverage? She has to do so herself as it's not automatic. If not then you might have to find someone in charge of H.R. at her local office.

But while you're doing that, you may want to call your wife's former health care provider's office number and find out if she was put in for it anyway.


Explain your situation. Give them the name of your wife's former employer, her coverage, group and provider, and your member number and see if they've taken her off coverage yet. Have her last day of employment and her SS# ready. You may need them. Then they may be able to tell you if they've been contacted and when you may expect to hear from them. If they haven't been contacted, they may be able to give you a contact within your company.

As Gollnick said, COBRA coverage can be very costly. It might be cheaper to sign up for independent coverage elsewhere.
 
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