All of a Sudden, a COBRA Deadline Looms

New DOL rules will likely prompt widespread revisions of notices, procedures - soon

Thanks to the Department of Labor, benefit professionals now have a batch of COBRA-related items to add to their already strained summer To-Do lists:

• Talk to your services providers and review COBRA services contracts

• Revise current initial and qualifying event COBRA notices (and stop all use of the old DOL model notice!)

• Update health plan procedures and SPDs

• Create new notices for specific COBRA situations

These To-Do items come courtesy of proposed regulations issued May 28, which broke the DOL’s 17-year near-total silence on COBRA notices. Though comments are being requested (until July 28), the DOL intends the rules to take effect for plan years starting on or after January 1, 2004.