Course Description
Claims data shows that claims for individuals covered under a health plan through COBRA are 150% higher on average than claims for individuals covered as active employees.
In addition, individuals covered under COBRA often include individuals who are providing no quid pro quo value to the employer (such as former employees and spouses).
Fortunately, there are some relatively easy-to-implement and easy-to-administer steps that employers and their service providers can take to reduce their COBRA claims, including steps to reduce the total number of individuals on COBRA coverage.
This audio conference will help you to determine if your plan is taking all of the steps available to reduce your COBRA claims, and to reduce the total number of individuals using COBRA coverage under your plan, including the steps employers need to take to confirm and effect the termination of COBRA rights.
Learning Objectives:
By attending this audio conference, you will learn:
- How to determine individuals who are who are not - or no longer - entitled to COBRA coverage
- How to use the COBRA Timeline, Alternative Coverage, Medicare, and other permissible options and rules to reduce or forego COBRA coverage
- Steps to terminate COBRA rights
- Steps to terminate of COBRA coverage
- Steps employers should take to coordinate their efforts with their insurers, vendors, and TPAs
- Documents and notices that assist employers in these efforts
You will be able to use the information provided during the audio conference as a self-diagnostic checklist enabling you and your vendors to audit regularly your plan's attempts to reduce COBRA claims.
...and as always, this session will be interactive, so we’ll be able to answer your questions on this topic throughout the presentation!
About Your Speaker:
Henry Smith is the Managing Partner of Smith & Downey, a boutique law firm with a national practice limited to benefits and other human resources matters.
Henry is an employee benefits lawyer with almost three decades of experience. He advises all types of employers and service providers on all aspects of employee benefits, ERISA, and HR areas.
Mr. Smith is a frequent presenter on various employee benefits and executive compensation topics, past Chair of the Maryland State Bar Association Tax Section and of its Employee Benefits Committee, a former Adjunct Professor in employee benefits at the University of Baltimore School of Law, and is author of a number of employee benefits-related books and periodicals.
PHR / SPHR Credits!This program has been approved for 1.5 re-certification credit hours through the HR Certification Institute. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HR Certification Institute website at www.hrci.org. The use of this seal is not an endorsement by HRCI of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met HRCI's criteria to be pre-approved for re-certification credit.