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ARTICLE · 31 MARCH 2004

COBRA and Domestic Partner Group Health Plan Coverage

We frequently review health plans maintained for employees by their employers. Some of these group health plans provide domestic partner coverage, not only for an employee's unmarried partner of the same or opposite sex, but also for the dependents of these partners. This scenario presents some interesting results under the continuation coverage rules of the federal law called the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, or "COBRA."

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Jan Steinhour
Jan Steinhour
We frequently review health plans maintained for employees by their employers. Some of these group health plans provide domestic partner coverage, not only for an employee's unmarried partner of the same or opposite sex, but also for the dependents of these partners. This scenario presents some interesting results under the continuation coverage rules of the federal law called the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, or "COBRA."

With limited exceptions, COBRA requires that a group health plan provide continuation coverage when certain triggering events cause an employee, the employee's spouse, and/or dependent child to lose coverage under the plan terms. COBRA-triggering events include the covered employee's termination of employment or divorce and a dependent child ceasing to be a dependent under the plan terms.

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